The U.S. Air Force is an essential element of America’s national security policy and has been for almost 100 years. From its earliest days purchasing airplanes from the Wright Brothers to today’s use of highly complex modern weapon systems, the service branch has always relied on private industry for the manufacture of its airplanes. Unfortunately, negligence and failure to warn on the part of many of these manufacturers and suppliers led to service members, Air Force veterans, and civilians who worked on Air Force bases being exposed to asbestos and diagnosed with deadly asbestos-related diseases.
The History of the U.S. Air Force
Though the Department of the Air Force was not officially established until 1947, the branch of the military began much earlier in the century, when the War Department was offered flying machines by Wilbur and Orville Wright in 1905. Before the Wright Brothers’ offer, only balloons had been used in airborne warfare. Though the military turned the brothers’ first offer down, they maintained contact and in 1908 contracted with them for an airplane that was delivered in 1909. The brothers then began teaching officers to fly, and the first appropriation for military aviation was approved by Congress in 1911.[1]
The airplane began proving its usefulness during World War I and was given the name Air Service, but despite the success of the Royal Air Force and the victories of some divisions in actions against the Germans, airplanes were largely seen as nothing but a resource for supporting infantry and fell under the control of local commanders who were not aviators.
In 1926 the disparate flyers were given the name Air Corps and advocates lobbied for a separate service with the ability to engage in strategic or long-range bombardment from the air. A combat air force was created in 1935 that answered to the Chief of Staff of the Army, and during World War II, American air power truly proved itself. In 1941 and 1942, the Air Forces’ leader was viewed as co-equal with that of the Army ground Forces, and given autonomy until the end of the war, with the agreement that it would become an independent force when the war was over.[1]
From 1939, when it was comprised of 20,000 men and 2,400 planes, to 1944 when it boasted almost 2.4 million personnel and 80,000 aircraft, the American Air Force became the world’s most powerful air-based military branch. The National Security Act of 1947 established the Department of the Air Force, which included three major combat commands: The Strategic Air Command, the Tactical Air Command, and the Air Defense Command.[1]
Why Did the Air Force Use Asbestos on its Bases?
Before the dangers of asbestos were revealed, the American military considered it an invaluable asset for the protection and safety of its service members. The material was highly regarded for its strength and ability to insulate against fire and heat, as well as for its accessibility and low cost. For all these reasons, it was incorporated into everything from barracks construction to the brake linings of vehicles, vessels, and aircraft. From the 1930s to the 1980s, requisitions for equipment specified its inclusion, including equipment ordered for the Air Force. It was only decades later that the military learned that its use had put everyone exposed to it at risk for deadly illnesses.
Asbestos Use on Air Force Bases
Asbestos use on Air Force bases included materials used in the construction of administrative buildings, barracks, and work areas; vehicles and equipment used for transportation and maintenance of the base; and materials relating to the construction, maintenance, and operations of the Air Force’s aircraft. It was also included in fireproofing and fire safety materials and base infrastructure.
Notable uses of asbestos on Air Force bases have included the construction of steam plants and steam tunnel vaults, boiler rooms and heating equipment, barracks and mess halls, and soundproofing. It was also used in military aircraft parts including brakes and brake pads, clutches, electrical wiring, engines, gaskets, heating systems, tires, and torque valves.
Asbestos-containing materials used on Air Force bases 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
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Wallboard
What Type of Health Risks Did Asbestos Exposure Pose on Air Force Bases?
Asbestos works in insidious ways that were made all the more dangerous by the fact that in the years before the 1980s, those working with the material were unaware of its dangers. Air Force base employees and service members recall working in the vicinity of insulators and boiler repair workers who raised clouds of asbestos fibers that they inhaled without a second thought. Decades later, that seemingly harmless dust proves deadly, killing the cells inside the body and giving rise to mutations that grow into tumors and scar the tissue of organs.
Many health risks have been linked to exposure to asbestos, including:
Asbestos-related lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma. Caused by asbestos fibers being inhaled and becoming embedded in the lining of the lungs or the lungs themselves. The result is the development of deadly tumors.
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. A form of mesothelioma that develops in the abdominal cavity.
Malignant pericardial mesothelioma. A very rare form of mesothelioma that develops in the lining of the cavity where the heart is located.
Pleural plaques. Scarring of the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Frequently seen on chest X-rays or CAT scans as a precursor to mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Asbestosis. Scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. It causes shortness of breath, chronic cough, and other health effects, including a higher risk of lung infection and pneumonia.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD is a group of irreversible lung diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. Symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, or a chronic cough.
Many of these illnesses have extremely long latency periods, which means that it can take decades for symptoms to develop. By the time these conditions are diagnosed, they are frequently very advanced, making treatment extremely difficult.
Which Air Force Base Employees Were at Risk for Asbestos Exposure?
Air Force base employees who were potentially exposed to asbestos on the job include:
- Aircraft mechanics
- Airmen
- Airplane crew chiefs
- Armorers
- Auto mechanics
- Aviation machinist’s mates
- Boiler tenders
- Carpenters
- Communications specialists
- Construction workers
- Electricians and electronics technicians
- Engineers (electrical and mechanical)
- Firefighters
- Fuel specialists
- Gunners
- Heavy equipment operators
- HVAC specialists
- Instructors
- Instrument shop workers
- Insulators
- Jet engine inspectors
- Mechanics
- Navigation systems technicians
- Operators
- Pilots
- Pipefitters
- Plumbers
- Radar technicians
- Radio operators
- Sheet Metal workers
- Supply warehouse helpers
- Truck drivers
- Weapons mechanics
- Welders
The risk of asbestos exposure was not limited to those who worked on the base or with the carcinogenic material. Over the years, many wives and family members of Air Force service members or base employees have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma as a result of second-hand exposure to the fibers when they were carried into their homes or vehicles on the hair, skin, and clothing of their loved ones.
Continuing Risk of Asbestos Exposure on Air Force Bases
Despite concentrated efforts to rid Air Force bases of asbestos, the nature of the material has made complete removal extremely difficult. When asbestos was in constant use before the 1980s, some of the fibers that rose into the air were inhaled or ingested while many others settled into cracks and crevices, or fell to the ground and eventually became embedded in the soil. Additionally, asbestos is still present in the form of some buildings or old pieces of equipment that may have fallen into a state of disrepair, creating further risk of exposure for Air Force members and their families, as well as for civilian workers.
Several Air Force bases have been added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Superfund sites in need of cleanup, specifically because of the discovery of legacy asbestos or asbestos that was dumped or disposed of in a way that makes it a health hazard. Examples include the Burns Air Force Base in Oregon, which required an EPA cleanup that yielded 20.5 tons of friable asbestos-containing material and the removal of 357 tons of asbestos-containing debris.[2]
Can Air Force Base Workers and Veterans Sickened by Asbestos Receive Compensation?
There have been thousands of veterans and civilian employees sicked from exposure to asbestos at U.S. Air Force bases, and many of them have filed personal injury lawsuits against the manufacturers and suppliers that failed to warn of the dangers posed by their products. These companies include:
- Cleaver-Brooks
- Johns Manville
- Metalclad Insulation Corporation
- Bendix
- Fairchild-Republic
- General Electric Company
- Owens-Corning Fiberglass
- Pratt & Whitney
- Raytheon
These companies and many others that supplied aircraft insulation, gaskets, boilers, asbestos-covered pipes, construction materials, and other asbestos-contaminated materials to Air Force bases have been blamed for asbestos-related illnesses caused by exposure to their products.
Many of the claims filed against these companies have resulted in significant verdicts for the victims. These include:
- Air Force veteran Kit McCormick was stationed at a base in Kansas where he worked with asbestos-contaminated boilers. He died from an asbestos-related disease and a jury awarded his survivors $980,000 for wrongful death and economic losses.[3]
- The widow of a Navy veteran who’d worked as a shop foreman at Glasgow Air Force Base after his service sued Caterpillar, Inc. after he died of malignant mesothelioma. Her lawsuit alleged product liability, failure to warn, and negligence. She was awarded $4.5 million in damages.[4]
- A 65-year-old man who worked at Norton Air Force Base in the 1960s as an insulator, installing and ripping out asbestos, filed suit against multiple asbestos companies. He was awarded compensatory damages of over $410,000 and $1 million in non-economic damages.
To file a personal injury lawsuit over an asbestos-related illness, you must act quickly: Each state has its own statute of limitations that places a deadline on how long you have after diagnosis to file a claim.
If you are interested in alternatives to litigation, an experienced attorney can help you explore your eligibility to file a claim with any of the many asbestos bankruptcy trust funds that have been established by asbestos companies. This process is generally faster than pursuing a lawsuit and can provide you with much-needed funds.
Most of those exposed to asbestos on Air Force bases are veterans, who are entitled to file claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA has created a specific claims process for those exposed to asbestos during their service and offers free medical care at VA medical centers, as well as the ability to be referred to one of the many specialized mesothelioma treatment centers around the country.
Air Force Bases with Known Asbestos Use
- Griffiss Air Force Base (New York)
- Buckley Air Force Base (Colorado)
- Lowry Air Force Base (Colorado)
- Chanute Air Force Base (Illinois)
- Hanscom Air Force Base (Massachusetts)
- Edwards Air Force Base (California)
- Lackland Air Force Base (Texas)
- Scott Air Force Base (Illinois)
- Robins Air Force Base (Georgia)
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)
- Sheppard Air Force Base (Texas)
- Tinker Air Force Base (Oklahoma)
- Burns Air Force Base (Oregon)
- George Air Force Base (California)
- Ellsworth Air Force Base (South Dakota)
- Malmstrom Air Force Base (Montana)
- Randolph Air Force Base (Texas)
- Williams Air Force Base (Arizona)
Exposure to asbestos carries significant risk. If you’re a civilian or veteran who served at these or any other Air Force base and you’ve been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, an asbestos attorney can help you navigate the challenges that lay ahead. Don’t delay. The sooner you begin exploring your options, the more of them you’ll have.
