Naval Station Key West, located at the southern tip of Florida, served as a strategically important shore installation for the US Navy throughout the Cold War. Publicly filed Navy procurement records identify Key West as a designated receiving station for naval supply deliveries — including materials that contained asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and pipe components — distributed from Key West to vessels homeported or operating in the area.

Shore Facility Construction and Asbestos Use

Naval Station Key West’s infrastructure includes facilities constructed from the World War II era through the 1970s. Navy shore facilities built during this period routinely used asbestos-containing materials in building construction, including:

  • Asbestos insulation on steam distribution systems serving barracks, administrative buildings, and maintenance shops
  • Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in enlisted berthing and administrative spaces
  • Asbestos pipe lagging on hot-water and steam distribution piping throughout base facilities
  • Asbestos-containing fireproofing on structural steel in hangars and maintenance facilities
  • Asbestos gaskets and packing in base boiler plant equipment

Veterans assigned to shore duty at Naval Station Key West during the asbestos era — particularly those in engineering, utilities, or base maintenance ratings — were present in facilities with documented ACM use.

Key West as a Navy Supply Hub

Publicly filed Navy procurement documents reference “Receiving Officer, Naval Station, Key West, Florida” as a designated receiving address for Navy supply deliveries. This reflects Key West’s role as a logistics node within the Navy’s supply chain, where procurement items — including those containing asbestos — were received and processed for distribution to local vessels and shore commands.

The Key West area also hosted submarine operations, fleet activities, and the Naval Air Station (NAS Key West). Shore personnel and contractors who worked in maintenance, engineering, and logistics roles across these installations were present in asbestos-containing environments throughout the construction era.

VA Presumptive Benefits for Shore Duty

Shore-duty veterans who served at Naval Station Key West during the asbestos era — generally those whose service occurred before 1980 — may qualify for VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) if they have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer.

Key documentation for a Key West shore-duty claim includes:

  • DD-214 with duty station listed as Key West, NAS Key West, or related command designations
  • Orders or station assignment records identifying the specific command and dates
  • Rate and occupational specialty establishing proximity to engineering systems, maintenance shops, or building renovation work

No statute of limitations applies to VA claims. Veterans who served at Key West decades ago and have since received an asbestos-related diagnosis may still file.