How Many Veterans Have Mesothelioma?

About 1,000 U.S. veterans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Veterans make up roughly one-third of the approximately 3,000 Americans diagnosed with this rare cancer annually.

For much of the 20th century, the U.S. military relied on asbestos, a heat-resistant mineral, in ships, buildings, vehicles, and equipment. U.S. Navy veterans and shipyard workers faced some of the highest risks, but service members in nearly every branch could have been exposed.

Because mesothelioma can take 20 to 50 years to develop after asbestos exposure, many veterans are only now being diagnosed, decades after leaving the service. Financial compensation as well as VA benefits may be available for veterans diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.

As a national mesothelioma law firm, Sokolove Law has secured over $1.8 Billion specifically for military veterans affected by asbestos exposure and their families. We also have VA-accredited attorneys on staff who can help maximize your benefits.

Learn more about why veterans get mesothelioma, where military asbestos exposure occurs, and your legal options if diagnosed.

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Why Do So Many Veterans Get Mesothelioma?

Veterans are diagnosed with mesothelioma at disproportionately high rates because asbestos was used extensively throughout the U.S. military for decades, particularly from World War II through the 1970s.

Military personnel could encounter asbestos aboard ships and submarines, in shipyards, on military bases, and while working with vehicles, aircraft, boilers, pipes, machinery, and construction materials.

Asbestos was used by every branch of the military in some capacity:

• U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Army
• U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Marine Corps
• U.S. National Guard
• U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy veterans faced especially significant exposure because asbestos was used extensively throughout older ships, including in engine and boiler rooms, pipe insulation, valves, gaskets, flooring, and other equipment.

Military asbestos exposure was not limited to those who handled asbestos products. Service members could be exposed simply by working near damaged insulation, maintaining equipment, repairing ships or vehicles, or living and working in older buildings where asbestos-containing materials were present.

Some veterans may also have experienced repeated exposure over the course of their service or encountered asbestos in civilian jobs after leaving the military, adding to their overall exposure history.

Common Military Asbestos Exposure Sources

Asbestos was used throughout the military, so veterans could encounter it in many different settings. Ships, military bases, aircraft, vehicles, and mechanical equipment all contained asbestos-containing materials.

However, the specific products often varied depending on the branch, location, occupation, and age of equipment.

Asbestos exposure in the military may have been linked to:

• Military bases: Barracks, housing, administrative buildings, hospitals, hangars, and other older structures could contain asbestos in floor tiles, roofing materials, cement sheets, insulation, pipe coverings, adhesives, and other construction materials. Boiler rooms and utility systems often contained asbestos insulation around boilers and pipes.
• U.S. Navy ships and submarines: Older vessels could contain asbestos throughout engine rooms, boiler rooms, and below-deck areas. Asbestos was used in pipe insulation, valves, pumps, gaskets, flooring, bulkheads, insulation, and other ship components.
• Shipyards: Ship construction, repair, and overhaul involved asbestos-containing pipe and boiler insulation, gaskets, valves, flooring, cement, and other materials used throughout ships.
• Military vehicles: Jeeps, trucks, tanks, armored vehicles, and other military vehicles could contain asbestos in brake linings, clutch facings, gaskets, and other heat-resistant or friction components.
• Aircraft and aviation facilities: Older military aircraft could contain asbestos in brake components, insulation, engine-related materials, and other heat-resistant parts. Maintenance areas could also contain asbestos-containing building materials and equipment.
• Industrial and mechanical facilities: Generators, pumps, compressors, boilers, valves, electrical equipment, and other machinery could contain asbestos insulation, gaskets, seals, packing, and other components.
• Older buildings overseas: Veterans stationed overseas could encounter asbestos in older buildings and infrastructure, particularly during construction, renovation, repair, or demolition.

Because asbestos was present in so many military settings, exposure could happen in everyday places as well as specialized work areas.

A veteran could encounter asbestos while living in a barracks, working below deck on a ship, repairing a military vehicle, maintaining aircraft, working around boilers and pipes, or performing construction and maintenance.

Why Was Asbestos Used in the Military?

Asbestos was widely used by the military because it offered a combination of properties valuable in ships, vehicles, buildings, and other equipment. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the military used asbestos-containing materials because of their fire resistance and durability.

Asbestos is naturally resistant to heat, provides effective insulation, is strong, and can withstand many chemicals. These qualities made asbestos especially useful in environments where equipment operated at high temperatures or where fire protection was critical.

Military uses of asbestos included:

• Pipe and boiler insulation: Asbestos helped insulate hot pipes, boilers, steam lines, and other equipment.
• Engine and boiler rooms: U.S. Navy ships used asbestos-containing materials extensively in these high-heat areas.
• Ship insulation and lagging: Asbestos was used around pipes and other ship systems to control heat and help protect against fire.
• Gaskets, valves, and packing: Asbestos could withstand high temperatures and was used to seal equipment and connections.
• Flooring and deck materials: Asbestos was incorporated into some floor tiles, deck tiles, and related materials.
• Cement, adhesives, and mastics: Asbestos was added to certain construction and maintenance products.
• Brakes and friction products: Its heat resistance made asbestos useful in brake components and other friction materials.
• Heat-resistant fabrics and protective materials: Asbestos fibers could be woven into materials designed to withstand high temperatures.

The widespread use of asbestos meant that exposure could occur during ordinary military work, particularly when service members installed, repaired, replaced, cut, removed, or otherwise disturbed asbestos-containing materials.

On older U.S. Navy ships and in shipyards, asbestos was used throughout engine rooms, boiler rooms, piping systems, and other areas. Veterans in occupations such as pipefitting, welding, boiler operation, insulation, construction, demolition, and ship repair could face exposure when asbestos fibers became airborne.

"Veterans who lived and worked in tight spaces aboard ships are more at risk since these areas usually had poor ventilation systems. The cramped spaces enabled airborne asbestos to become concentrated, increasing the level of exposure."
– U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  

Asbestos & Military Exposure Timeline

During the 20th century, every branch of the military relied on asbestos in some capacity. Our timeline of military asbestos exposure shows when asbestos use rates climbed, when the risks started to be acknowledged, and other relevant dates.

Key dates in the history of military asbestos exposure include:

• 1890s-1918: Asbestos was in limited use in the U.S. by the late 1800s, mainly in textiles and in insulation and packings for steam locomotives and boilers. U.S. demand then grew rapidly for a short period during World War I.
• 1922: The U.S. Navy specifies asbestos for new submarines, exposing millions to the cancer-causing mineral.
• 1932: During the Great Depression, U.S. asbestos use is about 197 million pounds, or roughly 89,000 metric tons.
• 1939: The U.S. classifies asbestos as a critical material and begins stockpiling as demand exceeds supply.
• 1942: A federal conservation order essentially bans non-military asbestos use to save it for the war effort.
• 1940-1945: U.S. asbestos use averages about 783 million pounds, or roughly 355,000 metric tons a year.
• 1946: A U.S. Navy-backed health survey of shipyard pipe insulators concludes the work is not dangerous. Researchers later identify the study as deeply flawed, and asbestos-related companies cite it for decades to defend against lawsuits.
• 1950: When the Korean War begins, the U.S. Navy’s reserve fleet holds 17 large and 67 small aircraft carriers, 14 battleships, 58 cruisers, and hundreds of destroyers and other ships, many of which are reactivated for service.
• 1950-1953: The Maritime Administration activates 540 reserve-fleet ships to support military forces during the Korean War.
• 1955: British researcher Richard Doll publishes an influential study linking asbestos work to lung cancer.
• 1962: A U.S. Navy report warns that the greatest health risks come from ripping out old insulation on ships undergoing overhaul or reconversions. The authors describe ways to avoid contracting asbestosis.
• 1964: Dr. Irving Selikoff publishes a landmark study of 632 insulation workers, finding 45 deaths from cancer of the lung or pleura where only 6.6 were expected.
• 1971: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues its first emergency standard limiting workplace asbestos exposure.
• 1973: U.S. asbestos use peaks at 803,000 metric tons, more than double the WWII average.
• Mid-1970s: U.S. Navy ships built before this point contain asbestos below deck for fire safety.
• 1988: The VA issues guidance on asbestos-related disease claims, acknowledging the link between asbestos exposure and diseases including mesothelioma.
• 1989: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues a rule to ban most asbestos-containing products.
• 1991: A federal appeals court overturns most of the EPA’s ban, leaving many asbestos products legal.
• 1992: The VA's guidance on asbestos-related diseases is added to the agency's official claims manual.
• 1993: A federal veterans court rules that the VA must follow its asbestos guidelines when deciding claims.
• 1996: A U.S. inspection of military bases in South Korea finds asbestos in 200 buildings. Dozens of buildings on bases across South Korea might be contaminated with broken asbestos fragments, according to a Stars and Stripes report.
• 1998: The Pentagon undergoes its first major renovation since it was built in 1942, a project that includes large-scale asbestos removal. A Defense Department case study written while the work was still underway put asbestos removal at 25 million pounds.
• 2000: The VA’s General Counsel rules that veterans must provide medical evidence linking their disease to in-service asbestos exposure, a requirement that still applies today.
• 2000-2001: The U.S. Army removes asbestos from a building at Camp Walker in South Korea. About two decades later, a former soldier who was working in the building as a contractor says he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2013 and attributes it to the removal.
• 2008: The U.S. Army confirms that Fort Bragg paratroopers were unknowingly exposed to asbestos after being ordered to rip up floor tiles in their barracks without protective gear.
• 2010: The federal government agrees to clean up and remove 52 obsolete military and merchant ships, many dating to WWII, from California’s Suisun Bay “ghost fleet.” A Maritime Administration official later reports 34,000 cubic yards of asbestos removed from the fleet’s ships.
• 2012: Fort Hood begins asbestos abatement to tear down more than 150 WWII-era buildings, totaling almost 1 million square feet.
• 2016: Fort Benning demolishes its last WWII-era building in Soldiers Plaza after more asbestos is found in its floor tiles, part of a program that removed 45 WWII buildings.
• 2019: Camp Lejeune formalizes an asbestos management program requiring base buildings to be inspected for asbestos-containing materials.
• 2019: Joint Base Lewis-McChord begins asbestos abatement to demolish 193 WWII-era buildings, including barracks, mess halls, chapels, and theaters.
• 2020: A Defense Department Inspector General review finds systemic problems managing asbestos, lead paint, and radon in military family housing, with 5 of 8 bases inspected unable to accurately track where asbestos was located.
• 2024: U.S. imports of unmanufactured asbestos fibers are fully banned under an EPA rule. Some remaining uses are being phased out over several more years.
• 2026: A Defense Department Inspector General audit finds asbestos-containing material, mold, and crumbling structures at U.S. military bases in Japan, including Kadena and Yokota Air Bases and Camp Courtney.

Exposure to asbestos in the military isn't a thing of the past — not yet. Thousands of veterans continue to be diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases decades after exposure.

How Do You Prove Asbestos Exposure in the Military?

Proving military asbestos exposure generally involves establishing where a veteran served, what their duties involved, and what asbestos-containing materials they could have encountered. Veterans do not necessarily need to have personally handled asbestos.

Military records, service histories, occupational records, ship or base information, and other evidence can help establish that asbestos was commonly present in a particular job, vessel, vehicle, building, or military facility.

Evidence that may help establish military asbestos exposure includes:

• Military service records: Branch of service, dates of service, duty stations, ships, units, and military occupational specialties.
• Personnel and occupational records: Documents showing a veteran's job duties, assignments, and work locations.
• Ship records: Ship construction dates, maintenance records, equipment information, and evidence showing asbestos was used aboard a particular vessel.
• Base and facility records: Information about the construction, renovation, or materials used in military buildings and facilities.
• Military occupational histories: Evidence that particular jobs, such as shipfitting, pipefitting, boiler operation, welding, mechanics, construction, or insulation work, involved potential asbestos exposure.
• Military manuals and technical documents: Records identifying asbestos-containing materials used in equipment, vehicles, ships, or facilities.
• Statements from veterans, coworkers, and family members: Personal accounts can help establish where and how exposure occurred.
• Medical records: A mesothelioma diagnosis and documentation of a patient's occupational and exposure history can help connect the disease to asbestos exposure.

Because military asbestos exposure often happened decades before a mesothelioma diagnosis, a veteran may not have a single document that says they were exposed to asbestos.

Instead, your mesothelioma attorney will create an exposure history by putting together records showing the veteran's service, duties, locations, and the asbestos-containing materials present in those environments.

For veterans pursuing compensation, establishing military exposure can be especially important because the source of asbestos exposure may affect which benefits or legal options are available.

Mesothelioma VA Claim Help & Financial Compensation

Veterans may be eligible for VA benefits related to asbestos exposure, while claims against asbestos-related companies can involve a separate legal process. An attorney experienced in asbestos cases can investigate a veteran's service and work history to identify potential sources of exposure.

Depending on their circumstances, veterans with mesothelioma may qualify for VA disability, health care, or other benefits related to their service-connected illness. Eligibility can depend on factors such as the veteran's service history, diagnosis, and evidence connecting the condition to military service.

In addition to lawsuits, there's over $30 Billion estimated to still be available in asbestos trusts. Financial compensation from an asbestos claim may help veterans and their families address medical expenses, lost income, travel costs, and other financial burdens associated with mesothelioma.

Get Help Filing a Military Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit

Mesothelioma can take decades to develop after asbestos exposure, often 20 to 50 years or more. As a result, veterans who were exposed during military service many decades ago may only develop symptoms and receive a diagnosis later in life — but you still have legal options.

At Sokolove Law, our mesothelioma lawyers have helped thousands of military veterans and their families secure compensation and VA benefits — at no upfront cost.

Your mesothelioma legal team can help:

• Prove your military asbestos exposure
• File for VA benefits or raise your current disability rating to 100%
• Determine if you may be eligible for compensation from legal claims
• File your mesothelioma lawsuit as well as asbestos trust claims

The average mesothelioma settlement amount is over $1 Million, providing families with financial security despite the steep costs of cancer care.

Call (800) 647-3434 right now for a free case review. You can speak with our team about your diagnosis, military service, and potential asbestos exposure to find out if you may be eligible for compensation.