Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts was acquired by the Army Air Force during World War II and used for fighter training. Mid-way through the war, the base began testing radar sets being developed at MIT, and this became the base’s primary function. Today, Hanscom is responsible for America’s radar, communication and intelligence systems, its command and operations centers, network infrastructure, and cyber defense. Through the years, the base made significant use of asbestos in its construction, infrastructure, and operations, leading to many people who lived and worked there being diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
The History of Hanscom Air Force Base
Located on a site that borders the Massachusetts towns of Bedford, Lincoln, Concord, and Lexington, Hanscom Air Force Base got its start as Bedford Airport when, in 1941, a federal program set out to boost flight capacity in the United States. With the start of World War II, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts leased the site to the Army Air Force, which initially used it for fighter training for the 85th and 318th Fighter Squadrons, which were deployed to combat in North Africa and Europe. By 1943, the base was renamed Hanscom in honor of a local citizen killed in an aircraft crash who had been active in lobbying for the airport to be built.[1]
The site’s mission shifted toward the war’s end when it was assigned responsibility for testing new radar sets being developed by the Radiation Laboratory at MIT. As radar became increasingly important to the war effort, this specialized work became Hanscom Air Force Base’s primary role in American combat readiness, even after the war when the MIT and Harvard wartime laboratories were disbanded. The Army Air Force recruited many of the scientists and researchers from those laboratories and established the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories at Hanscom, and by 1950, the Air Force had expanded its base and was developing a new air defense system with the help of a new group of MIT researchers.[1]
The expansion of Hanscom’s research and development required additional construction. In 1942, the MIT Lincoln Laboratory was built to accommodate electronic and geophysics laboratories that moved from Cambridge to the new facilities. Runways were expanded, and new hangars and administration buildings and facilities were constructed to facilitate testing of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, which revolutionized air defense and made significant contributions to advances in air traffic control systems. Other advanced command, control, and communications systems were also developed at Hanscom, and the Electronic Systems Division was established there to oversee the management of the Air Force’s electronic systems.[1]
By 1973, all regular military flying operations at Hanscom had ceased, leading the Air Force to end its lease of the base’s airfield. There was another round of construction in the 1980s as the Electronic Systems Division erected new engineering facilities as well as support centers and additional housing. In recent years, the base’s primary mission has been part of the Air Force Material Command, though in 2011, part of the base’s responsibilities were relocated to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The offices that remain at Hanscom Air Force Base center on educational institutions, private industry, and military research in support of the military’s electronics technology.[1]
How Was Asbestos Used at Hanscom Air Force Base?
The oldest buildings at Hanscom Air Force Base were constructed in the 1940s and 1950s, with construction and renovations continuing into the 1980s—a time when asbestos was widely used. This carcinogenic material was incorporated into various types of buildings and infrastructure, including barracks, training facilities, mess halls, medical centers, and administrative offices. It was found in numerous construction materials such as floor and ceiling tiles, drywall, adhesives, insulation, pipes, paint, cement, and more.
Beyond buildings, asbestos was also present in brake linings, gaskets, valves, pumps, and other parts used in aircraft, as well as in the electrical systems vital to the radar technology being tested and trained for on-site. These heavily contaminated components posed serious risks to civilian and military personnel involved in testing, research, repairs, and maintenance. Asbestos was also used to fortify fireproofing and other safety equipment, further exposing workers and service members.
Asbestos was valued for its durability and ability to insulate against fire, heat, and sound. However, its widespread use came at a grave cost. Countless trainees, civilian employees, and service members unknowingly inhaled asbestos dust and fibers, putting them at high risk for developing asbestos-related diseases—often with symptoms that would not emerge until decades later.
Asbestos-containing materials used at Hanscom 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
- Vinyl floor tiles
- Wallboard
Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure at Hanscom Air Force Base?
Hanscom Air Force Base has been in operation for over eighty years, and during that time, almost every service member and civilian employee who worked on the base was at risk of asbestos exposure. The material was used throughout the base, from the construction of its buildings to the parts of aircraft, and it was a critical component of the wiring and materials used in the radar systems being tested and developed on the site. Those who worked at construction jobs, in the repair and maintenance of aircraft or infrastructure, and those who were involved in the base’s research and development efforts were at particular risk of exposure to asbestos fibers.
Though the use of asbestos was discontinued throughout the military in the 1980s, the asbestos contamination of Hanscom Air Force Base spanned the range of the base’s most active years and may remain in place today as legacy asbestos hidden in some of the housing and administrative buildings that accommodate the 10,000 base employees, 900 active duty military personnel, and 400 Massachusetts National Guard assigned there.[2]
Those at particular risk of exposure during those years included:
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Welders
- Electricians
- Insulation workers
- Roofers
- Contractors
- Construction Workers
- Airmen
- Boiler Workers
- Plumbers and Pipefitters
- Machinists
- Aircraft mechanics
- Scientists
- Radar technicians
- Communications personnel
- Carpenters
Family members of those who served or worked at Hanscom Air Force Base also faced the risk of secondary asbestos exposure. The deadly fibers were unknowingly carried home on the work clothing, hair, or skin of base employees, leading to them unknowingly exposing their loved ones and leading to serious health consequences years later. Many personal injury lawsuits have been filed by individuals who developed asbestos-related diseases due to this type of indirect exposure.
In addition to risks faced by workers and their families, asbestos-contaminated materials have been discovered in Air Force Base buildings undergoing demolition. A contract valued at $2,347,000 for the demolition of five buildings in support of the planned construction of a new compound and laboratory cites asbestos paint, floor and ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, and more.[3] This has raised concerns for anyone working on the demolition and renovations of the original site.
Help for Hanscom Air Force Base Asbestos Victims
Asbestos exposure causes serious and deadly diseases, including malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, COPD, and asbestosis. These illnesses have long latency periods and often take years — or even decades — to develop after exposure. If you or a loved one served or worked at Hanscom Air Force Base and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, an experienced asbestos attorney can help you identify which companies supplied Hanscom with the asbestos that sickened you, and guide you through your options, including the steps involved in seeking compensation for the damage you’ve suffered.
If you were sickened by asbestos at Hanscom Air Force Base, there are numerous resources available to you. Air Force veterans can apply for disability benefits and access specialized care at VA Medical Centers and can be referred to non-VA facilities for advanced treatment as needed. Additionally, both military and civilian victims may qualify to file claims with asbestos trust funds established by companies responsible for asbestos-containing products. Personal injury lawsuits against liable parties are also an option for seeking compensation. Speak to a mesothelioma lawyer as soon as you can after your diagnosis, as your state has established a specific deadline called a statute of limitations that limits the amount of time you have to pursue legal justice.
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