The USS Kinkaid was a Spruance-class destroyer that served the United States Navy with honor from 1976 to 2003. Built just before the time that the military stopped using asbestos in naval construction, the ship and her crew were exposed to this hazardous material throughout her operational life. Today, many sailors and shipyard personnel who worked aboard the Kinkaid face potential health risks from asbestos exposure, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other serious respiratory conditions.
About the USS Kinkaid
The Ship’s Namesake
The USS Kinkaid was named after Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid, a distinguished naval officer. Born in 1888 and graduating from the Naval Academy in 1908, he was an officer on the battleship Pennsylvania from 1917 to 1918 and was then attached to the British Admiralty. Later in 1918, he became Gunnery Officer of the USS Arizona. He remained on that ship until mid-1919, when he was assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance in Washington, D.C.[1]
After serving in several administrative and diplomatic roles, he took command of a destroyer squadron and was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1942, immediately before the start of World War II. He was placed in charge of the North Pacific Force in January 1943 and was then named Commander of the Seventh Fleet, a responsibility he held for two years.
He demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic brilliance during World War II, leading forces during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. After the war ended, he was named Commander Eastern Sea Frontier and the Atlantic Reserve Fleet from 1946 until his retirement in May 1950.
Construction of the USS Kinkaid
The USS Kinkaid (DD-965) was constructed by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries at their Pascagoula, Mississippi facility. She was the third of thirty-one Spruance-class destroyers designed to be highly versatile multi-mission vessels capable of operating independently or with amphibious assault and aircraft carrier task forces. The Kinkaid’s keel was laid in April 1973, and she was launched in May 1974. The ship was commissioned in July 1976.
Like others in her class, the Kinkaid measured 564.3 feet in length with a beam of 55.1 feet and a draft of 28.9 feet. She displaced approximately 9,200 tons when fully loaded and was powered by four General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engines driving two five-bladed propellers. The ship was capable of achieving speeds exceeding 30 knots and carrying a crew of approximately 340 officers and enlisted personnel.[2]
Despite her many state-of-the-art innovations, the Kinkaid was constructed using the same asbestos-containing materials that were responsible for so many deaths and illnesses of veterans who served on previous destroyers. Though by the 1970s, there was growing awareness of the mineral’s health hazards, the Navy continued using asbestos in ship construction based on economic considerations and their belief that there were no alternatives for insulation in high-temperature environments.
Early Service and Deployments
Initially homeported in San Diego, California, and assigned to Destroyer Squadron Seven, the USS Kinkaid began her operational career in the Pacific Fleet. Equipped with an impressive armament that included Harpoon anti-ship missiles, five-inch guns, ship and helicopter-launched torpedoes, and long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles for land attacks, her assignments involved both surface and subsurface threats.[3]
In February 1979, she participated in a humanitarian mission, evacuating 25 construction workers from Texas who were building a naval base in Char Bahar. Bringing them to safety in Bahrain earned her crew the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Armed Forces Humanitarian Service Medal.
Notable Operations and Missions
The USS Kinkaid’s service record includes several significant deployments and operations and one historic accident. Before dawn on Nov. 12, 1989, the ship collided with the container ship M/V Kota while transiting the Strait of Malacca near Singapore. The collision resulted in the death of the Kinkaid’s navigator and 5 crew injuries. A Navy investigation recommended a court-martial for Cmdr. John Cochrane, Kinkaid’s commanding officer, who was found not guilty of criminal negligence. The ship’s officer of the deck pled guilty to negligent dereliction of duty and negligently hazarding a vessel and was sentenced to receive a letter of reprimand and dismissal from the Navy.[3]
In July 1993, she made a historic three-day port visit to Acajutla, marking the first visit by a U.S. warship to El Salvador in more than a dozen years. She deployed in November 1994 as part of the USS Constellation Battle Group for a six-month Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf deployment, participating in numerous joint exercises with allied nations.
During her 1997 deployment with the USS Nimitz Battle Group, the Kinkaid participated in Pacific Joint Task Force Exercise 97-2 and conducted maritime interception operations. Her Arabian Gulf deployment in 1999 with the USS Constellation Battle Group included ten weeks of operations supporting Operation Southern Watch, flying combat air patrols over Iraqi no-fly zones, and conducting maritime interception operations.
One of her most notable humanitarian achievements occurred during this deployment, when the Kinkaid rescued the container ship MV Sima Star, which was taking on water. After seven hours of working in extremely poor conditions, the Kinkaid’s crew successfully stabilized the vessel, allowing it to reach Bahrain for repairs.
Sea Swap Program and Decommissioning
The USS Kinkaid participated in an innovative Navy initiative called Sea Swap, which was designed to test the effectiveness of deploying a single ship for 18 months while rotating crews every six months. As part of this program, the Kinkaid was decommissioned in 2003, in a ceremony at Naval Station San Diego. Because of their involvement in this program, instead of dispersing throughout the fleet, her crew members were flown to Perth, Australia, to relieve the crew of the USS Fletcher (DD-992), continuing their service aboard that vessel. After her decommissioning, the USS Kinkaid was stricken from the Navy list in April 2004 and subsequently sunk as a target in July 2004.
What Led the Navy to Use Asbestos in Military Ships?
From the 1930s through the mid-1970s, the United States Navy mandated the use of asbestos-containing materials throughout its fleet. This decision dated back to immediately after World War I, when the military became aware of the mineral’s exceptional properties for naval applications.[4] Asbestos offered superior fire resistance, thermal insulation, and durability that made it ideal for the demanding conditions aboard warships. These properties were considered essential for protecting crew members and equipment in the harsh marine environment.
Even after health concerns about asbestos became more widely recognized in the 1970s, the Navy continued using existing stockpiles of asbestos-containing materials. Economic factors played a significant role in this decision, as replacing all asbestos materials would have required substantial financial investment.[5] The military also faced challenges in finding alternatives that could match asbestos’s performance in the high-temperature environments surrounding engines and boilers.
Where Was Asbestos Used on the USS Kinkaid?
As was true of all Navy ships of that time, asbestos materials were incorporated throughout virtually every compartment and system aboard the USS Kinkaid, but the heaviest concentrations were found in the areas that required protection from heat and fire. The ship’s engineering spaces, including the gas turbine compartments, auxiliary machinery rooms, and electrical equipment areas, all contained extensive asbestos insulation around and within pipes, conduits, and machinery components.
The destroyer’s living spaces also contained significant amounts of asbestos in flooring materials, wall panels, ceiling tiles, and various structural components. Asbestos was present in gaskets, seals, valve packing, and other essential parts throughout the ship’s systems. Additionally, damage control equipment, firefighting gear, and protective clothing were made using asbestos fibers to guard against heat, meaning that even safety equipment posed potential exposure risks to crew members.
How Did USS Kinkaid Crew Members Encounter Asbestos?
The confined environment aboard the USS Kinkaid made asbestos exposure virtually unavoidable for USS Kinkaid crew members during their service. While intact asbestos materials generally pose minimal risk, the constant vibration from the ship’s engines, weapon systems, and normal operations caused asbestos-containing materials to deteriorate over time, releasing microscopic fibers into the air.
Routine maintenance activities, repairs, and system upgrades were the primary way that asbestos materials were disturbed. These actions caused quick deterioration of the fibrous material, leading to particles becoming airborne. These lightweight fibers created a dust that could remain suspended in the ship’s atmosphere for extended periods.
The destroyer’s ventilation systems distributed the toxic material throughout the ship, leading to crew members who never directly worked with asbestos being exposed. Add to that the communal nature of shipboard life, including shared berthing areas and common spaces, and the likelihood that all personnel aboard would encounter asbestos particles at some point during their service was extremely high.
Which USS Kinkaid Personnel Faced the Greatest Asbestos Exposure Risk?
While all crew members aboard the USS Kinkaid faced some level of asbestos exposure, certain personnel encountered significantly higher risks due to their duties and work environments. Engineering personnel who worked in the gas turbine spaces and auxiliary machinery rooms faced the greatest exposure, as these areas contained the highest concentrations of asbestos insulation and required constant maintenance.
In addition to those who worked in these areas, the maintenance technicians and repair specialists who were called to take care of the equipment handled asbestos-containing components daily. Whether during routine upkeep, emergency repairs, or scheduled overhauls, these personnel worked in poorly ventilated spaces where asbestos fibers accumulated, and their duties both required direct contact with asbestos-containing materials and created significant amounts of the contaminated dust.
Shipyard workers who participated in the vessel’s construction and major overhauls also faced elevated risks, especially during the renovations and upgrades that the military ordered for the Spruance-class destroyers. This work involved removing and replacing equipment, with both the old and the new installations containing asbestos materials.
Finally, damage control personnel and firefighting teams who worked with equipment and materials that contained asbestos were exposed to asbestos whenever their services were needed, and the same was true of hull technicians and other specialists who performed welding and cutting operations that disturbed asbestos insulation.
Understanding the Health Risks of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure presents serious long-term health consequences that often remain hidden for decadesbefore symptoms appear. Veterans who served aboard the USS Kinkaid may only now be experiencing the effects of exposure that occurred during their naval service, while others may remain healthy, and still others may be diagnosed in years to come.
The primary health conditions associated with asbestos exposure include asbestosis, a progressive lung disease that causes scarring and breathing difficulties; lung cancer, which can develop in both smokers and non-smokers; and malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer affecting the protective membranes surrounding the lungs: Veterans may also be afflicted with mesothelioma affecting the cavities holding the abdomen or heart. The likelihood of developing these diseases generally correlates with the duration and intensity of exposure, but even brief contact with asbestos can lead to serious health complications.
The Importance of Informing Your Doctor About Your Asbestos Exposure
Veterans who served aboard the USS Kinkaid should inform their healthcare providers about their history of asbestos exposure, no matter how healthy they feel today. Having this information will help your doctor to look for and recognize the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases sooner, allowing treatment to begin earlier, when it will be most effective. They may also take a proactive approach and implement appropriate screening protocols/
By familiarizing your physician with your exposure history, you also give them the chance to educate you about warning signs to watch for, including persistent coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal swelling. Early recognition of these symptoms can make a big difference in your prognosis.
There are other good reasons to inform your health care team of your concerns about asbestos-related illnesses. Having medical documentation of your history will support your application for disability benefitsthrough the Department of Veterans Affairs and can be valuable evidence in legal proceedings against manufacturers of asbestos-containing products. Establishing this medical record before symptoms develop will help demonstrate the connection between military service and potential future health problems.
VA Benefits for Navy Veterans with Asbestos-Related Diseases
Veterans who served aboard the USS Kinkaid and who subsequently develop asbestos-related conditions have access to various forms of support and compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes malignant mesothelioma as a condition warranting a 100% disability rating, meaning veterans who can establish service-connected exposure may receive full disability benefits.
These benefits include monthly compensation payments, comprehensive medical care through VA healthcare facilities, and access to specialized treatment centers with expertise in asbestos-related diseases. The VA system includes numerous medical facilities equipped to provide advanced care for veterans dealing with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other exposure-related conditions, and where these services are not accessible to your home, the VA allows veterans to seek treatment at specialized cancer centers.
Veterans may also be eligible for additional benefits, including vocational rehabilitation services, home loans, and survivor benefits for family members. The VA’s recognition of the connection between military asbestos exposure and subsequent health problems helps ensure that veterans receive the care and support they have earned through their service.
How an Asbestos Attorney Can Help
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma can benefit greatly from working with a skilled, experienced asbestos attorney who focuses on asbestos-related cases. These professionals are knowledgeable, compassionate, and have a deep understanding of the unique issues involved with asbestos exposure during military service. They can provide you with a wide range of services, assisting you in preparing and submitting a VA disability claim and helping ensure that all the paperwork you need is complete and accurate. Their guidance is often key to obtaining the medical care and financial support you and your loved ones are entitled to receive.
Asbestos Trust Funds and Personal Injury Lawsuits
An asbestos lawyer can also help you seek compensation outside of the VA system. They can determine whether you qualify to file a claim against any of the asbestos trust funds that bankrupt companies were forced to create. These funds were set up to pay people as they develop illnesses in the future as a result of exposure to these negligent companies’ products. While applying to these trusts is generally faster and less confrontational than filing a lawsuit, the process still involves complex requirements and documentation that a legal expert can help you understand and complete.
In addition, a mesothelioma attorney can take legal action on your behalf against the manufacturers and suppliers responsible for providing the military with asbestos-based products. Law firms with experience in asbestos litigation have libraries filled with information about which companies provided materials to specific naval vessels and bases, as well as the compensation amounts that juries have ordered them to pay to previous victims. This insight and their familiarity with legal precedent in asbestos cases help them identify every possible company that may be liable and to maximize the compensation you receive.
References
View All References
