Naval Air Station Agana, located adjacent to Agana (now Hagåtña) on Guam’s north coast, served as the US Navy’s primary aviation installation in the western Pacific — the anchor of Seventh Fleet maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare coverage from the post-WWII period through the station’s closure in the 1990s and conversion to Guam International Airport (now Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport). NAS Agana was rebuilt after significant WWII damage and expanded during the Cold War as the primary homeport for VP (patrol) squadrons conducting western Pacific maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare coverage of the Philippine Sea, and maritime reconnaissance support for Seventh Fleet operations.

WWII-Era and Cold War Building Infrastructure

NAS Agana’s building complex spanned the WWII reconstruction and Cold War expansion periods:

  • Post-WWII construction at NAS Agana — the original NAS Agana reconstruction following WWII battle damage used 1945-1950 military construction materials and standards, with asbestos-containing construction materials incorporated in the rebuilding of barracks, administration, and hangar facilities at the Guam installation
  • Cold War-era barracks and support buildings — the barracks and support building expansion at NAS Agana during the 1950s and early 1960s used asbestos-containing floor tile, ceiling tile, and building mechanical system insulation consistent with the military construction standards of the Cold War build-up period
  • P-3 Orion maintenance hangars — the patrol aircraft maintenance hangars at NAS Agana built to support the VP squadron homeport mission incorporated asbestos-containing structural and mechanical materials in hangar construction during the 1960s construction period
  • Tropical climate building construction — NAS Agana’s building insulation and mechanical system design for the western Pacific tropical climate used asbestos-containing pipe insulation in building HVAC and plumbing systems, contributing to ambient asbestos exposure in building occupancy

VP Patrol Squadron Operations

NAS Agana served as the primary western Pacific homeport for VP patrol squadrons:

  • P-3 Orion maritime patrol operations — VP squadrons homeported at NAS Agana operated P-3 Orion aircraft on Seventh Fleet maritime patrol missions covering the Philippine Sea, East China Sea, and western Pacific operational areas. Aviation maintenance ratings and aircrewmen at NAS Agana performed P-3 maintenance in the station’s hangars, with asbestos exposure from aircraft interior insulation in earlier P-3 Orion production aircraft and from hangar building construction materials
  • RP-3 reconnaissance aircraft maintenance — special mission P-3 variants operated from NAS Agana for ocean surveillance and electronic reconnaissance used the same 1960s-era aircraft interior construction with asbestos-containing insulation materials

VA Claims for NAS Agana Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at naval aviation installations. Veterans who served at NAS Agana in WWII-era and Cold War-era buildings or performed patrol aircraft maintenance and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.