Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is located in Dayton, Ohio, the site to which Wilbur and Orville Wright returned after their famous flight at Kitty Hawk. The flying field where the brothers perfected their flying skills and taught others to fly was already part of aviation history when it was purchased by the U.S. Army in 1917,[1] and since that time it has continued that legacy as a leader in military aviation development.
Wright-Patterson has been called “the most organizationally complex base in the U.S. Air Force” with over 600 office, laboratory, and support buildings in addition to 127 family housing buildings. Its long history and expansive size have made invaluable contributions to the country’s safety and military readiness,[2] but have also exposed countless military personnel and civilians to the risk of serious illnesses as a result of the extensive use of asbestos in its infrastructure and its operations.
The History of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Out of all the U.S. Air Force bases, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has the most illustrious historic ties to aviation. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the site started as a plot of land purchased by Wilbur and Orville Wright after their original proof-of-concept flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The two used it as an experimental flying field where they developed the first practical airplane in the early 1900s, as home to the Wright Company School of Aviation, and as a research and development facility.[2]
After the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, the site was purchased by the War Department along with two other sites in Dayton. Wilbur Wright Field was used as a Signal Corps Aviation School and an Aviation Mechanics’ School that graduated airplane, airplane motor, and motor transport mechanics. It also housed an Aviation Armorers’ School where machine guns were tested. All training ended when World War I ended, but the site remained active for testing experimental aircraft. A Supply Depot opened on the site to provide logistics support to Wilbur Wright Field and other Midwestern aviation schools: It stored freight and supplies until 1933 and was home to a double rail spur that connected the depot to a nearby railroad company line.[2]
Before the start of World War II, the Dayton Air Service Committee purchased additional land, dramatically increasing the base’s acreage, and more buildings were constructed, including an aircraft assembly hangar and control tower, a main warehouse, a radio lab, power plant lab, and wood, machine, and sheet metal shops. Asbestos was used extensively in the construction of these buildings and was also part of much of the equipment that was moved to the site for the new engineering center, which was tasked with supply, procurement, and aircraft maintenance at the base. Wright Field and the newly named Patterson Field that housed the Engineering Division quickly became known as the nation’s foremost aeronautical engineering center.[2]
When World War II began, Wright and Patterson Fields grew from a combined population of 3,700 in 1939 to over 50,000. A massive construction project was initiated to accommodate the service members and operations, with the base growing from 40 buildings in 1941 to over 300 in 1944. A modern flightline complex was built, including paved runways and laboratory structures, and barracks. Research efforts at Wright-Patterson significantly improved aircraft, and by the war’s end, the base had begun working on jet-powered planes and guided missiles.[2]
After World War II, Wright Field and Patterson Field consolidated into a single installation that became a major logistics center and storage depot, leading to another construction boom that added more warehouses, hospitals, barracks and mess halls, and other buildings, all of which were constructed using asbestos-containing materials. A family housing unit for 546 families and a dormitory that accommodated 640 residents were built, as well as a recreational center. In 1947 it was redesignated as the Air Force Technical Base to reflect its status as part of the newly established United States Air Force and in 1948, with the Cold War on the horizon, it was officially renamed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
When the Korean War broke out, the base’s personnel count grew to 34,000 as it took responsibility for recalling and overhauling stored aircraft and overseeing the effort that supplied state-of-the-art aircraft to the effort. The base continued its previous role as an acquisition, logistics, and research and development center. Older structures were removed to make way for new ones, and these efforts exposed those present to asbestos from buildings being demolished as well as new ones being built. Two thousand family units were added to the base as well as bachelor officer quarters and visiting officer quarters, and new laboratory and research facilities were built or added on to existing ones.[2]
Procurement and production functions continued during the Vietnam War, with operations at Wright-Patterson including support of advanced technology systems and combat operations, as well as flight training, small-arms weapons training, vehicle operator training, and more. In the 1960s and 1970s, older structures on the base were replaced by new facilities, including those built for the development of nuclear-powered aircraft engines. In 1979, some of the base’s original structures were razed to make way for new laboratories, releasing significant amounts of asbestos into the environment and exposing workers and service members to the risk of inhalation.
Though asbestos use was discontinued in the early 1980s after the material was identified as a carcinogen, legacy asbestos in the buildings and housing structures throughout Wright-Patterson Air Force Base continued to pose a threat, especially as the base was used to support the global war on terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom. By 2005, the Wright-Patterson Air Force began undergoing major demolition and military construction programs, many of which involved significant asbestos abatement.[2]
How Was Asbestos Used at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?
Asbestos has been used for centuries because of its strength and ability to insulate against fire and heat, but knowledge of its dangers did not become widespread until 1980. Unaware of the risk of mesothelioma and other serious illnesses, the military used it extensively in the construction of structures, housing units, and infrastructure as well as for its operations. This was true for every branch of the military, including the Air Force. During Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s many building phases, asbestos was used constantly to fortify and insulate buildings, as well as in concrete used in steam pipes and runways, in parts used to support the base infrastructure, and in aircraft fabrication.
Asbestos-containing materials and parts used at Wright-Patterson 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 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?
Over the many decades of its operations, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base saw tens of thousands of service members, employees, contractors, and family members pass through its gates. With asbestos incorporated into nearly every structure and piece of equipment on the base, the risk of exposure was widespread but was particularly concerning for those who were involved in construction, demolition, electrical work, and the maintenance and repair of aircraft and equipment on the base.
Those who were most at risk of asbestos exposure at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base included:
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Welders
- Electricians
- Contractors
- Construction Workers
- Airmen
- Boiler Workers
- Pipefitters
- Machinists
- Aircraft mechanics
- Pilots
- Carpenters
Though significant effort was put into removing asbestos from military aircraft and equipment, less attention was paid to legacy asbestos that remained in infrastructure, housing, and other buildings on the base. Over the years, the Air Force has been required to exert significant expense and effort to asbestos abatement when buildings were being renovated and replaced, but little is known about how much exposure impacted those working and living on the base over the years. With asbestos-related diseases having latency periods that can extend fifty or sixty years, it is anticipated that many of those who suffered occupational exposure, direct environmental exposure, and secondary exposure will be diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other associated illnesses for decades to come.
Help for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Asbestos Victims
Being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like malignant mesothelioma is devastating, but this is especially true for Air Force veterans who have already sacrificed years of their lives to the service of our country. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease after having served at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base or in some other way exposed to asbestos on the base, an asbestos attorney can provide you with a wide range of options and resources aimed at providing you with benefits and compensation that will be invaluable as you fight your illness.
These options and benefits include filing a claim with one of the many asbestos bankruptcy funds established by the asbestos companies whose contaminated products you may have been exposed to, or filing a personal injury claim directly against those companies. You may also be eligible for disability compensation from the Veterans Administration or may wish to be treated at one of the VA Medical Centers that specialize in the care of veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.
