Located six miles east of Denver in Colorado, what was once known as Buckley Air Force Base is today Buckley Space Force Base, the fourth base in the United States to take on the Space Force Name.[1] The site’s history includes providing flight training for airmen in World War II, a few years as a Naval Air Station, home of an Air National Guard base, and an Aerospace Data Facility. Throughout many of those years, asbestos was a key component of the base’s infrastructure and assets, exposing tens of thousands of veterans and civilian employees to the risk of mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other serious illnesses.
The History of Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley’s history dates back to 1938, when the 64,000-acre site was established by the U.S. Army Air Corps as an auxiliary field to Lowry Air Force Base and used as a demolition bombing range. It was renamed Buckley Field in 1941in honor of 1st Lt. John Harold Buckley, a World War One fighter pilot killed in combat on the Western Front in France. It served as a training base throughout World War II, providing basic training to over fifty thousand airmen and housing a technical training center for bombardiers and armorers.[2]
After the war, Buckley was inactivated but remained operational as a training site for Colorado’s Air National Guard. In 1946, it was transferred to the U.S. Navy, which used it as a reserve station and renamed it Naval Air Station-Denver. The Colorado Air National Guard units assigned to the base were the first to acquire jet aircraft and became the first Air National Guard precision flying team, and in 1960, the Air Force officially designated the base Buckley Air National Guard Base, the first stand-alone guard base in the nation. When Lowry Air Force Base discontinued all flying operations, all of its transient aircraft became the responsibility of the Buckley site, and in 1968, units from Buckley Air National Guard sent to Vietnam became the first Guard units sent to a combat zone since World War II.[3]
In 1970, construction of the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado began at Buckley, and by 1970, the base had launched its first DSP missile-warning satellite. Over the years, service members based at Buckley mobilized for operations for the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, Operations Desert Storm, Northern Watch, and Iraqi Freedom. In 2000, the base returned to Air Force Service and began a significant modernization project, including renovations and rebuilding of its commissary, dormitories and housing facilities, and many of its other structures. It became the base for the 460th Space Wing in 2004 while continuing to host the Colorado Air National Guard and more than 90 base partners located both on-base and in the community. The Space Wing was deactivated in 2020, and the site was reactivated as a unit of the newly established U.S. Space Force, providing support functions for air operations, space-based missile warning capabilities, space surveillance operations, and space communications missions.[2]
How Was Asbestos Used at Buckley Air Force Base?
Initial construction of what would become Buckley Air Force Base began in the late 1930s, and like many other U.S. Air Force bases, construction of new structures continued over the next several decades to meet the site’s growing needs. During the years between the 1930s and 1980s, asbestos was relied upon as a material that added strength and durability as well as fireproofing and insulation. The military required its use in infrastructure and assets for every branch, from the insulation in Navy ships and Army barracks to the heat shields and brake linings of the aircraft flown by Air Force pilots. Though many of the companies providing asbestos-containing materials to the War Department were aware of the mineral’s dangers, the military was not: the administration was focused on protecting both its service members and its equipment and thought that they were supporting that mission by requiring that the material be used. It wasn’t until years later, when veterans began showing signs of deadly illnesses, that the use of asbestos was stopped.
At Buckley Air Force Base, asbestos was used in everything from the construction materials used to build dormitories, mess halls, and administration buildings to the brake and electrical systems of the aircraft that were being flown and maintained on the base. Boilers and pipes were insulated with the carcinogenic material and equipped with asbestos-containing gaskets, valves, and sealants. Even the protective gear worn by base firefighters contained asbestos to protect them from heat and flame.
Asbestos-containing materials and parts used at Buckley Air Force Base included:
- Adhesives
- Aircraft
- Aircraft Brakes
- Automobile and truck brakes
- Cargo bay insulation Adhesives
- Caulking
- Ceiling tiles
- Cement foundations
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Epoxies
- Fireproofing materials
- Floor tiles
- Gaskets
- Heat shields for aircraft engines
- Heating systems in the cockpit
- HVAC systems
- Insulation materials
- Paint
- Pipes
- Plumbing
- Roofing
- Roofing adhesives
- Sealants
- Siding
- Soundproofing
- Valves
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Wallboard
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Buckley Air Force Base?
Asbestos is a mineral found in nature. It is extremely fibrous and, when disturbed, can disintegrate into microscopic fibers and particles. At Buckley Air Force Base, the material was contained within parts used in planes, materials used in construction, textiles used to make uniforms, and many other applications. Though those who were at the greatest risk at Buckley Air Force Base were the service members and civilian employees who worked directly with these asbestos-containing materials, tens of thousands of people based through the base at any one time, and many of them lived, ate, or worked near the parts and components that were constantly shedding asbestos dust and breathing it in.
Even family members of Air Force and National Guard members and employees and contractors were at risk of asbestos exposure: when these individuals left the base to return to their families each night, many carried asbestos dust into their personal vehicles and homes on their hair, skin, and clothing, and when the particles were released into the air in these spaces, it put family members and friends at risk of inhaling them. This is known as secondary asbestos exposure, and it has been linked to many diagnoses of asbestos-related diseases in people who never worked with the deadly material.
Those who were most at risk of asbestos exposure at Buckley Air Force Base included:
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Welders
- Electricians
- Contractors
- Construction Workers
- Airmen
- Boiler Workers
- Pipefitters
- Machinists
- Aircraft mechanics
- Pilots
- Carpenters
Legacy Asbestos at Buckley Space Force Base
Though it has been years since asbestos was actively used at Buckley Air Force Base, the long latency period characteristic of asbestos-related diseases means that those who were exposed during the asbestos years may not be diagnosed for decades. Legacy asbestos poses an additional risk, as many of the buildings that have been in place for decades continue to have asbestos hidden behind walls in insulation and electrical wiring, in floor and ceiling tiles, and in other locations. Even areas where asbestos-containing buildings were demolished represent a risk of contamination, as the asbestos may be mixed into the soil.
In 2003, the Headquarters Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence prepared a report on areas of Buckley Air Force Base for the U.S. Air Force, including the air traffic control tower and fire station. The material was found in the soil, in construction materials that remained in place, in pipe insulation, and in other areas.[4]
In 2007, the 460th Civil Engineer Squadron’s hazardous waste and toxics program manager announced the need to remove 4,000 cubic yards of asbestos-contaminated soil from an area where a former World War II hospital complex had been located,[5] and there have been numerous actions taken by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to clean up asbestos left behind from the base’s runways, equipment storage facilities, and administrative buildings.
Were You Exposed to Asbestos at Buckley Air Force Base?
Buckley Air Force Base has been home to multiple military branches servicing a wide range of roles and capacities. The focus on aviation, missile defense, satellites, and space technology has, at various times exposed many different people to asbestos, whether through direct contact or having the material carried into the home. If you or someone you loved served or worked at Buckley Air Force base and you believe they may have been exposed to asbestos, the risk remains today, even if that exposure took place years ago.
The best thing someone with a history of exposure can do is to educate themselves about asbestos-related diseases and their symptoms so that they can immediately seek medical attention should any troubling signs arise. It’s also a good idea to place a call to your healthcare provider and ask them to add your asbestos exposure history to your medical records. Diseases like mesothelioma are best treated when they are diagnosed early, and the more you can do to help your physician’s diagnostic process, the better.
Help for Buckley Air Force Base Asbestos Victims
If you have been diagnosed with malignant pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, the first and most important thing you can do is to make sure you are in the hands of a mesothelioma specialist who can provide you with state-of-the-art care. Air Force veterans and those who served in every branch are eligible for treatment at VA treatment centers, many of which offer high-quality care for asbestos-related diseases.
You are also encouraged to investigate your legal options with an asbestos attorney. Though you cannot file suit against the military, many victims of asbestos-related diseases have been able to receive compensation for their medical expenses, pain, and suffering from the asbestos companies that supplied the military with asbestos: in some cases, the companies have been ordered to pay victims and their family members millions of dollars. Some of the companies faced such significant asbestos liabilities that they were forced to file for bankruptcy and, in the process, were required to set up special trust funds for the victims of their negligence. These trust funds have over $30 billion in compensation available for eligible victims.
For information on the special compensation available for U.S. veterans from the Department of Veteran Affairs, as well as other compensation options available to you, contact a mesothelioma lawyer. They can explain the process and your eligibility, the deadline (known as a statute of limitations) by which time you need to file a claim, and what you can expect as you move forward.
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