Fort Campbell is one of the U.S. Army’s most active and important military installations. Located on the Kentucky/Tennessee state line, it is currently the home of the Army’s most deployed contingency force, a distinction supported by its ability to deploy forces by air, rail, highway, and inland waterway based on need. Even though Fort Campbell describes itself as offering “The Best Soldier and Family Experience,” the base’s extensive asbestos contamination has led to numerous cases of service men and women, their family members, and civilian employees being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases including malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer.[1]
History of Fort Campbell
Located between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee, the site of Fort Campbell was selected in 1941, and construction of the base began in early 1942. Originally known as Camp Campbell, the site was developed to provide housing and training space for a single armored division and various support troops totaling a population of 23,000.[2]
The site served as a training ground through the end of World War II, preparing the 12th, 14th, and 20tharmored divisions for battle and serving as the headquarters for the IV Armored Corps and the 26th Infantry Division. After the war’s end, Camp Campbell was used to store nuclear weapons, and in 1949 the 11th Airborne Division made the site its home after it returned from occupation duty in Japan, remaining there until 1956.[2]
The site was officially designated a permanent installation and renamed Fort Campbell in 1950, and in 1956 it became the home of the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles.” Between 1965 and 1968 the entire group was deployed to Vietnam and the Fort was designated as a Basic Combat Training Center, which was inactivated in 1972.[2]
Fort Campbell has been invaluable in the training and deployment of front-line Army units from World War II through Vietnam and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. It continues to be integral to Overseas Contingency Operations, providing the most deployed combat units in the Army.
The military installation continues to be home to the only Air Assault division in the world, the 101st Airborne Division, and as of the mid-1980s the 101st was joined by two Special Operations Command units. In 2009 the 52nd Ordnance Group was relocated there from Fort Gilliam, Georgia. The base population is over 30,000 active military members and over 51,000 family members, as well as 8,500 civilians and contract employees, nearly 69,000 military retirees and 83,000 of their family members. In all, the base supports over 241,910 people, 66% of whom are assigned soldiers. The military population accounts for over one-quarter of students in the local school system.
How Was Asbestos Used at Fort Campbell?
Fort Campbell’s initial construction and the expansion and renovations in the decades that followed occurred before the military knew that asbestos was a carcinogenic material. At the time, the mineral was widely respected: In fact, it was considered a boon to safety and and security because of its characteristic strength and ability to insulate against heat and flame. Asbestos was so highly prized, and so inexpensive and accessible, that the War Department specified its use in numerous applications for the military, including the construction of barracks, the insulation of electrical wiring, and more.
Though the military was unaware that asbestos posed the risk of mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other serious illnesses, the same cannot be said of the companies that supplied the asbestos-containing materials that they’d ordered. Many of them kept the information to themselves to maximize their profits, putting countless service members, their family members, and civilian employees at risk.
When the Army built barracks between the 1930s and 1980s, the asbestos-containing materials used included:
- Caulk
- Ceiling tiles
- Floor tiles
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Fireproofing materials
- Adhesives
- Gaskets
- Paint
- Insulation
- Piping
- Roofing materials
Asbestos was used in additional applications at Fort Campbell, including military vehicles and infrastructures. Products containing asbestos used at the site included:
- Boilers
- Brake pads
- Cement
- Clutch plates
- Engines
- Gaskets
- Soundproofing
- Valves and heat seals
- Heating systems
- Pipes
What Fort Campbell Workers Were Affected by Asbestos Exposure?
Asbestos-related diseases are frequently associated with occupational exposure to the material, and though this is true of those who worked at Fort Campbell, exposure went beyond those who worked with the material. The workers who were put at risk of asbestos exposure include those assigned to the following jobs:
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Demolition crews
- Electricians
- Engine mechanics
- HVAC technicians
- Insulation workers
- Painters
- Roofers
- Pipefitters
- Vehicle mechanics
The risk to these individuals is not limited to those who served decades ago. In the last few years, asbestos exposure from World War II-era buildings has led to significant concern about the health of construction and demolition crews, as well as about those living in those structures. A remodeling project undertaken in 2000 led to more than 200 men, women and children having been exposed to asbestos poisoning over a 16-month period during their time in base housing, and workers were also put at risk. [3] In fact, an Environmental Guidance Handbook published by the Army for use by those pursuing building, remodeling, maintenance, and demolition projects on base warned that asbestos could be found in any building on the base and warned that special handling procedures should be followed.[4]
What is evident from the continued discovery of asbestos in military buildings, machinery, and even in current-day family housing is that the risk of exposure to the carcinogenic material continues today, decades after asbestos was no longer being used. The legacy asbestos that lurks behind walls, in ceiling and flooring tiles, in roofing materials, and pipe insulation is just as dangerous as it was when it was originally installed.
What are the Risks of Exposure to Asbestos at Fort Campbell
Asbestos exposure has been linked to numerous serious illnesses. The deadliest of these is malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer with an extremely long latency period. People who have been exposed to asbestos remain at risk for mesothelioma for decades, and because the disease’s initial symptoms are so similar to those of common illnesses like the flu, bronchitis, or pneumonia, many of those who are ill don’t get diagnosed until months later, when treatment for those benign conditions have failed. Mesothelioma is extremely aggressive, and those diagnosed with the disease generally succumb within 9 to 12 months of diagnosis.
Asbestos exposure has also been linked to asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, pleural plaques, COPD, and other respiratory illnesses that dramatically impact survival and quality of life.
What to Do if You Were Exposed to Asbestos at Fort Campbell
Whether you served as a member of the military at Fort Campbell, worked as a civilian employee or contractor, or are an immediate relative who lived on the base at any point over the last several decades, you may have been exposed to asbestos. If you begin to display symptoms of an asbestos-related disease, your first step should be advising your physician of your exposure history and requesting screening for asbestos-related diseases. The sooner you are diagnosed, the more treatment options will be available to you.
Asbestos-related diseases are life-changing, and if you are diagnosed you need to know all of the options available to you, including for compensation. If you are a veteran, you may be eligible for medical care, disability payments, and other benefits, and anybody exposed to asbestos may be eligible to take legal action in the form of a personal injury lawsuit against the asbestos companies responsible for your exposure, or if they’ve filed for bankruptcy you may be able to file a claim against an asbestos bankruptcy fund that they’ve set up. Speak to an experienced asbestos attorney to learn more about your rights.
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