Asbestos Use on Army Bases and Barracks
The U.S. Army used countless asbestos-containing products to build bases and barracks for most of the 20th century. Asbestos was cheap and abundant but also strong and fire-resistant — and people didn’t know about the health risks yet.
Asbestos exposure can lead to severe health problems like mesothelioma 10-50 years after exposure. Companies that made and sold asbestos-containing materials to the military hid the truth for decades to make a profit.
Any U.S. Army veteran who served on bases or barracks built with asbestos could be at risk of mesothelioma today — particularly if they worked with or around asbestos-containing products on a regular basis.
If you or a loved one is a U.S. veteran with mesothelioma who may have been exposed to asbestos on an Army base, Mesothelioma Hope can help you pursue benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), treatments, and compensation.
Download our Free Veterans Compensation Guide now to learn what kind of help is available.
List of U.S. Army Bases With Asbestos
Over 60 U.S. Army bases are known to have contained asbestos-based products.
Notable U.S. Army bases built with asbestos include:
- Camp Dodge, Iowa
- Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Fort Dix, New Jersey
- Fort Drum, New York
- Fort Hood, Texas
- Fort Hunter Liggett, California
- Fort Jackson, South Carolina
- Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
- Fort Knox, Kentucky
- Fort Lewis, Washington
- Fort McClellan, Alabama
- Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
- Fort Polk, Louisiana
- Hawthorne Army Depot, Nevada
- Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois
The list above isn’t a complete one. Call (866) 608-8933 to learn if a U.S. Army base that you served on put you at risk of mesothelioma.
International Army Bases
Like domestic military bases, any international U.S. Army bases built prior to the 1980s may also contain asbestos.
The U.S. military has constructed army installations in:
- Belgium
- Bosnia
- Bulgaria
- Cameroon
- Germany
- Israel
- Italy
- Iraq
- Japan
- Kuwait
- South Korea
The military magazine Stars and Stripes noted in a 2024 that Army housing in Wiesbaden, Germany was being demolished, with the asbestos-containing materials inside being remediated. The housing was built in the late 1950s, before the general public knew of the health risks of asbestos.
How Did the Military Use Asbestos in Army Barracks?
U.S. Army barracks and bases relied on asbestos in a variety of ways.
Asbestos was used in all of the following on Army bases:
- Caulking
- Ceiling tiles and floor tiles
- Drywall
- Electrical wiring
- Fireproofing materials
- Gaskets
- Insulation
- Piping
- Roofing
You can learn much more about asbestos exposure and the products that contained this dangerous mineral in our Free Mesothelioma Guide.
Army Personnel at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
U.S. armed forces personnel and their family members who spent time on military bases that contained asbestos may have been exposed. However, certain service members were at greater risk.
Asbestos fibers are dangerous when they become airborne because they can be inhaled or swallowed. Unfortunately, much of the work done on Army bases involved equipment that caused asbestos dust to be released into the air.
Those who held the following jobs on Army bases were at a high risk of exposure:
- Aircraft mechanics
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Demolition workers
- Electricians
- Engineers
- Firefighters
- HVAC mechanics
- Insulators
- Maintenance workers
- Pipefitters
- Plumbers
- Roofers
Army veterans at the greatest risk of asbestos exposure served prior to the 1980s in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Still, asbestos-containing structures remained for decades to come. Some barracks, such as Fort Bragg, contain small amounts of asbestos even today.
U.S. veterans who were exposed to asbestos could develop diseases like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer decades later. Call (866) 608-8933 to get help after a diagnosis. View Transcript.
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Veterans who served in the military between the 1930s and the 1980s were likely exposed to asbestos while they were on active duty.
Usually, if you’ve developed an asbestos-related disease, you developed that disease because you had an excessive amount of exposure to asbestos.
If a veteran believes they were exposed to asbestos while serving in the military, we encourage them to call MesotheliomaHope.com so that we can work together to help them file for VA benefits.
The VA will recognize any asbestos-related disease as long as your asbestos exposure happened while you were on active duty in the military.
In addition to VA benefits, MesotheliomaHope.com can connect veterans with world-renowned physicians and nurses on staff that can answer any of your treatment questions. We encourage veterans to call and find out how we can help them.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure on Army Bases
Many U.S. Army veterans with mesothelioma and their family members were directly exposed to asbestos in barracks, but secondary exposure also played a role in making people sick.
If a worker got asbestos fibers on their skin or clothing while working on base, they may have unintentionally brought these harmful fibers back home to their family.
Many children and spouses of U.S. Army veterans who lived on bases are now at risk of mesothelioma due to this secondary exposure.
VA Benefits and Compensation for Veterans Exposed to Asbestos in Army Barracks
Americans brave enough to serve their country should not have to face debilitating diseases like mesothelioma on their own. Fortunately, veterans who developed mesothelioma after serving on Army bases can access many VA benefits.
Army veterans with mesothelioma may be eligible for the following VA benefits:
- Health care: Veterans may also qualify for low-cost or free health care through the VA.
- Pensions: Army veterans with mesothelioma may be eligible for VA pensions depending on their service history and current financial need. In 2024, the base Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) is $21,674 for veterans with one dependent spouse or child.
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): Veterans with special health needs such as transportation and in-home care can apply for additional monthly benefits.
- VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC): The surviving spouse or dependent child of a veteran who dies due to an illness they contracted while serving (such as mesothelioma) may be eligible for tax-free monthly DIC payments.
- VA Disability Compensation: Veterans with mesothelioma usually receive a 100% disability rating from the VA. With this, married veterans can receive disability compensation totaling nearly $4,000 a month as of 2024.
Additionally, U.S. Army veterans with mesothelioma can apply for legal compensation by working with a mesothelioma lawyer in addition to accessing VA benefits.
Legal mesothelioma compensation options include:
- Asbestos trust funds: In the 1980s, the courts ordered bankrupt manufacturers to set up trust funds for people who developed health conditions from their asbestos-containing products. Over $30 billion in compensation is available in these trust funds today.
- Lawsuits: Although the value of a case depends on a number of factors, private mesothelioma lawsuits typically award veterans with an average of $1-$1.4 million in settlements. Note that these types of lawsuits are filed against the manufacturers of asbestos-containing materials — not against the U.S. government or Army.
This combination of VA-provided benefits and asbestos compensation can help Army veterans get the treatment they need while ensuring their families are taken care of.
Download our Free Veterans Compensation Guide now to learn how much you could receive.
Get Help Filing for Army Veterans Benefits Today
Veterans and their family members can apply for VA benefits online, by mail, or by visiting a regional office.
It’s best to apply as soon as you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma so you can benefit from more affordable health care, monthly disability payouts, and — potentially — a private mesothelioma settlement.
VA benefits can help veterans with mesothelioma get the medical treatment they need while giving their families some much-needed peace of mind.
The team at Mesothelioma Hope can explain your benefit options and help you file a VA claim. Call (866) 608-8933 or download our Free Veterans Compensation Guide now.
Asbestos in Army Barracks FAQs
Was asbestos used in military bases?
Yes. Every branch of the military — including the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy — used asbestos in bases between the 1930s and early 1980s.
In addition to the construction of barracks and bases, asbestos was used to manufacture vehicles, weapons, ships, and military assets.
Why was asbestos used in military barracks?
Although the advantages of asbestos were well known dating back to the 1930s, it would take decades for the U.S. military to find out about the drawbacks.
Companies that manufactured asbestos-containing materials were aware of the dangers, but they hid the truth to keep business booming.
In the 1980s, when the armed forces became aware of the risks, they began to remove asbestos from military bases.
Can veterans get VA disability for asbestos?
Yes, veterans and their families may qualify for VA disability benefits if they’ve been exposed to asbestos in Army barracks and later developed mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or other diseases.
The VA currently awards nearly $4,000 a month to married veterans with a 100% disability like mesothelioma as of 2024.
Download our Free Veterans Compensation Guide to learn how much you could receive.
How do you prove asbestos exposure in the military?
U.S. veterans can work with a mesothelioma lawyer to help prove that they were exposed to asbestos in Army barracks and that this exposure caused them to get sick.
Top lawyers know how to gather evidence related to when and where someone was exposed and can build strong legal claims showing asbestos exposure led to a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Is asbestos still used in the military?
Although the use of asbestos in Army barracks has stopped and the Army has taken steps to remove it from its bases, that doesn’t mean the risk has completely disappeared. Even after these efforts, there may still be a chance of exposure.
Additionally, because it can take so long for the health effects to appear, any new symptoms could be due to decades-old exposure to asbestos.
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