VETERANS & MESOTHELIOMA

Last updated: May 18, 2026 | Reviewed for accuracy by Zachry Sandifer

Did you know veterans make up approximately 30% of all mesothelioma diagnoses in the United States?

Unfortunately, many of our country’s men and women who served were exposed to asbestos, which leads to very serious and often fatal diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer, among others.

This startling statistic is the direct result of asbestos manufacturers knowingly selling dangerous asbestos-containing products to the U.S. military for decades — products these companies knew were harmful, and whose dangerous condition was concealed from the public, the government, and the brave men and women who served. What is even more concerning is that it does not take heavy asbestos exposure to cause harm. Even small or low-level exposure over time can lead to mesothelioma.

If you or a loved one is a veteran diagnosed with mesothelioma, we want to be clear from the outset: our fight is not against the military or the United States government. Our fight is against the companies that manufactured and supplied deadly asbestos-containing products, prioritizing profits over the lives of American service members. Veterans do not sue the military. Instead, they pursue claims against the companies responsible. We are here to help you do exactly that.

The bottom line is that veterans signed up to serve, not to develop life-threatening illnesses. They deserve awareness, support, and access to justice if they’re facing a diagnosis tied to that service.

WHY WERE VETERANS SO HEAVILY EXPOSED?

From about 1930 to 1980, asbestos was considered a wonder material. It was inexpensive, widely available, fireproof, heat-resistant, and durable. Manufacturers of asbestos-containing products aggressively marketed to industries and government entities alike, including the U.S. military, who incorporated it into nearly every aspect of construction, transportation, and equipment on land, at sea, and in the air.

The problem: there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, (during installation, repair, demolition, or even routine maintenance) microscopic fibers become airborne. Once inhaled or swallowed, those fibers can become permanently lodged in the lining of the lungs or abdomen. Over time, often 20 to 50 years later, this can lead to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.

This long latency period (the time between asbestos exposure and the appearance of symptoms) is part of why so many veterans are being diagnosed now. A serviceperson who worked in an engine room in 1965 may not receive his or her diagnosis until 2025.

THE RISK DID NOT ALWAYS END WITH SERVICE

For many veterans, exposure to asbestos continued after military service. Those trained in skilled trades like pipefitting, welding, insulation work, mechanics, and other similar trades often carried those skills into civilian careers in industries that also relied heavily on asbestos. The cumulative exposure increased these veterans’ risk significantly.

Family members of veterans were not always safe either. Because asbestos fibers can cling to clothing, hair, and skin, spouses and children who came into contact with a service member’s work clothes or lived in on-base housing faced what is known as secondhand exposure. Unfortunately, some people who experience secondary exposure have been known to develop mesothelioma themselves.

A NOTE FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES: YOU ARE NOT SUING THE MILITARY

One of the most common questions and concerns we hear from veteran clients is:

“Am I going to be suing the military? I would never do that.”

The answer is no. Not in any way, shape, or form will you be suing the military.

Mesothelioma claims brought by veterans are directed entirely at the companies that manufactured, marketed, and sold asbestos-containing products. These corporations knew for decades that asbestos caused cancer. They concealed that information, continued selling their products to the military and other industries, and left generations of American heroes to bear the consequences.

The U.S. military, like the veterans who served in it, was also a victim of these companies’ deception. Holding those corporations accountable is not an attack on the military but an act of justice for the men and women who served.

Many of these companies have since established asbestos trust funds to compensate victims of asbestos exposure, including veterans. Filing a claim through one of these trusts or pursuing a civil lawsuit against the manufacturer does not affect your VA benefits, and  does not target the government or armed forces in any way.

EXPOSURE BY MILITARY BRANCH

Every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces used asbestos-containing products. However, the nature of exposure and the level of risk varied by branch and by job. Below is a breakdown of what veterans and their families in each branch should know.

Navy veterans have the highest rates of mesothelioma among all military branches. This is largely because virtually every Navy vessel built before the early 1980s was constructed with asbestos-containing materials throughout.

Navy ships used over 300 different asbestos-containing products, incorporated into everything from the boiler room to the sleeping quarters. Anyone who lived and worked aboard these ships faced exposure around the clock.

Some of the most dangerous roles aboard Navy ships included:

  • Boiler technicians and water tenders: worked daily with boilers lined with asbestos insulation; asbestos gaskets were standard equipment
  • Machinist’s mates: maintained engines and mechanical systems packed with asbestos components
  • Hull maintenance technicians (HTs): installed and repaired asbestos pipe insulation, gaskets, and valves
  • Pipefitters and plumbers: regularly disturbed asbestos insulation during repairs
  • Electricians: worked with asbestos-containing electrical insulation throughout the ship

A study of approximately 114,000 Navy veterans published in the International Journal of Radiation Biology found that those serving in high-exposure roles (such as machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, water tender, and pipe fitters) were 6.47 times more likely to die from mesothelioma than those with minimal exposure.

Submarines posed an especially elevated risk. Their confined spaces and poor ventilation meant that once asbestos fibers were disturbed, they remained in the air far longer, increasing the likelihood of inhalation for the entire crew.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has identified 18 Navy Military Occupational Specialties classified as “highly probable” for asbestos exposure, with an additional 32 rated as “probable.” (Source: asbestos.com, citing VA Duty-MOS Exposure Matrix)

Highly Probable Asbestos Exposure (18 MOS Codes):

  • AQ – Aviation Fire Control Technician
  • B – Boilermaker (WWII era)
  • BR – Boilermaker
  • BT – Boiler Technician
  • FC – Fire Controlman
  • FN – Fireman
  • FP – Pipefitter
  • FT – Fire Control Technician
  • FTG – Fire Control Technician (Guns)
  • HT – Hull Maintenance Technician
  • IM – Instrument man
  • SO – Sonarman
  • ST – Sonar Technician
  • STG/SOG – Sonar Technician (Surface)
  • STS – Sonar Technician (Submarine)
  • SoM – Soundman
  • UT – Utilities man
  • WT – Water Tender

Army veterans encountered asbestos primarily through base construction, vehicle maintenance, and demolition work. While not exposed at the same rates as Navy personnel, Army veterans in certain roles faced significant and repeated exposure.

Key sources of Army asbestos exposure included:

  • Barracks, mess halls, and base buildings – Asbestos was a standard construction material; service members who lived and worked in these structures were exposed through deteriorating materials
  • Vehicle mechanics – Brake pads, clutch facings, and gaskets on Army vehicles routinely contained asbestos; handling these parts released fibers into the air
  • Construction and demolition crews – Demolishing or renovating older asbestos-containing buildings created heavy airborne fiber concentrations
  • Combat zones (Iraq and Afghanistan) – More recently, service members deployed overseas were exposed as damaged and destroyed buildings released asbestos fibers into the air (Source: mesotheliomahub.com)

Army veterans most at risk included mechanics, construction workers, engineers, and those stationed at older domestic bases.

Air Force veterans faced significant asbestos exposure through aircraft maintenance and base infrastructure. From the 1940s through the 1970s, military aircraft were built with asbestos to withstand the extreme heat and fire risks associated with flight.

Primary sources of Air Force asbestos exposure included:

  • Aircraft mechanics and ground crews – Brake systems, engine components, heat shields, and gaskets on military aircraft contained asbestos; routine maintenance disturbed these materials constantly
  • Electricians – Asbestos was used in electrical insulation throughout aircraft and base facilities
  • Base buildings and facilities – Like all branches, Air Force installations relied on asbestos in insulation, flooring, ceiling tiles, and other building materials
  • Adhesives and coatings – Asbestos was used in various adhesives and fireproofing materials throughout Air Force facilities

Air Force veterans who worked as aircraft mechanics, maintenance technicians, or in base construction and renovation are among those at highest risk.

Marines faced a dual risk: exposure both on the ground at bases and aboard Navy ships where Marine units were regularly stationed.

Key sources of Marine Corps asbestos exposure included:

  • Base housing and buildings – Marine Corps bases relied on asbestos for construction; an inspection as recently as 2004 found friable (crumbling, easily airborne) asbestos in housing areas on at least one Marine base
  • Marine air stations and aircraft – Aircraft components at Marine air stations contained asbestos in brakes, gaskets, and heat shields
  • Shipboard service – Marines assigned to naval vessels faced the same shipboard exposure risks as their Navy counterparts
  • Vehicle maintenance – Like Army mechanics, Marine vehicle technicians worked with asbestos-containing brake and clutch components

Families living in on-base housing were also at risk, as housing structures contained asbestos materials that became hazardous as they aged and deteriorated.

Coast Guard veterans share much of the same exposure history as Navy veterans. Their cutters and vessels were built with the same asbestos-containing materials, and Coast Guard cutters built before 1991 are known to contain asbestos.

During World War II, the Coast Guard manned more than 350 naval ships, 800 cutters, and nearly 300 Army ships, all of which were constructed during peak asbestos use. Those serving aboard these vessels were exposed around the clock.

One study of more than 4,700 civilian workers employed at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard in Maryland between 1950 and 1964 found significantly elevated rates of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related illnesses — evidence of just how pervasive the exposure was.

What Does This Mean for Veterans and Their Families?

If you served in any branch of the military, particularly between 1930 and 1980, and you have received a mesothelioma diagnosis (or any asbestos-related illness), your service is almost certainly connected to your diagnosis.

You are not without options and pursuing them is not a betrayal of your service; it is a recognition of what corporations owe the men and women they put at risk.

VA Benefits

The VA recognizes mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer as conditions presumptively linked to military asbestos exposure. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma typically receive a 100% disability rating, qualifying them for substantial monthly compensation and VA healthcare.

Legal Compensation

Veterans cannot sue the military or the federal government directly. However, they can, and often do, pursue legal claims against the manufacturers and suppliers of asbestos products used in the military — the companies that knowingly sold dangerous asbestos-containing materials to the armed forces without adequate warning.

Many of these companies established asbestos trust funds when they went bankrupt under the weight of litigation. Filing claims through these trusts does not reduce or disqualify a veteran’s VA benefits.

Families of Veterans

Surviving spouses and dependent children of veterans who died from mesothelioma may be eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) through the VA, as well as burial benefits. Family members who developed mesothelioma through secondhand exposure may also have independent legal claims.

YOU SERVED OUR COUNTRY. LET US SERVE YOU.

At the Holland Law Firm, our team is proud to represent the men and women who served this country. We understand both the challenges of a mesothelioma diagnosis and the deep sense of pride that comes with having answered the call to serve. We know how to build these cases, identify the responsible manufacturers, and fight to recover the compensation you and your family deserve with no upfront costs to you.

If you or a loved one served in any branch of military and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, contact us today for a free case evaluation. We’ll review your service history, help establish your exposure, and explain every option available to you.

Contact us

We have helped many people navigate their legal options after a preventable diagnosis such as mesothelioma, and we are ready to give our all for you, too. Every case is different and requires experience and knowledge to navigate.

Call our main office at 855-919-8179 or send a general email to set up a case evaluation to see if the Holland Law Firm can help you.

With offices in downtown St. Louis, MO and Madison County, Il we bring unmatched courtroom results to bear for our clients throughout the region.