Naval Air Station North Island, located on the northern tip of Coronado Island in San Diego Bay, California, was established in 1917 and holds the distinction of being the birthplace of naval aviation in the United States — the site where the Navy’s first aviation experiments were conducted. NAS North Island served as the Pacific Fleet’s primary carrier aviation base throughout the Cold War and into the present day, providing homeport facilities, maintenance support, and logistics for Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers, carrier air wings, and helicopter squadrons. The station served as homeport for major Pacific Fleet carriers — including USS Constellation, USS Kitty Hawk, USS Ranger, USS Midway, and others — throughout their service lives. Naval Air Station North Island was constructed beginning in the early aviation era and expanded extensively during WWII and the Cold War, with the WWII and Cold War construction using military construction materials that incorporated asbestos-containing building materials throughout the aircraft hangars, carrier aircraft maintenance facilities, naval aviation depot repair facilities, barracks, and support buildings built during the station’s decades of construction. Naval aviation personnel, carrier crew, and shore-assigned ratings living and working at NAS North Island accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing construction of the station’s WWII and Cold War-era facilities throughout their North Island assignments.

WWII-Era and Cold War Aviation Facility Asbestos

NAS North Island’s extensive aviation facilities incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • Aircraft maintenance hangars — the large aircraft maintenance hangars at NAS North Island constructed during WWII and the Cold War expansion used military construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing fireproofing on hangar structural steel elements, asbestos-containing insulation board on hangar interior wall construction, and asbestos pipe insulation on utility systems in the hangar building structure. Aviation Machinist’s Mates, Aviation Electronics Technicians, and carrier air wing maintenance personnel performing aircraft maintenance in NAS North Island hangars accumulated background asbestos exposure from the hangar building construction throughout their North Island squadron assignments
  • Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) North Island facilities — the Naval Aviation Depot at NAS North Island — one of the Navy’s primary aircraft and engine overhaul facilities — operated extensive overhaul shops and maintenance facilities constructed with asbestos-containing building materials. NADEP workers performing aircraft airframe, engine, and avionics overhaul in the NADEP North Island facilities accumulated background asbestos exposure from the overhaul shop building construction throughout their NADEP assignment
  • Carrier homeport pier facilities — the aircraft carrier homeport pier facilities and carrier maintenance support buildings at NAS North Island were constructed using Cold War military construction with asbestos-containing building materials in the carrier support facility construction. Ship’s company personnel reporting to NAS North Island-homeported carriers and shore support personnel working in carrier pier-side support facilities accumulated background asbestos exposure from the carrier support facility construction

Carrier Aviation Community Asbestos

NAS North Island’s role as the Pacific carrier hub created additional asbestos pathways:

  • Carrier air wing maintenance during workups — Pacific Fleet carrier air wings conducted pre-deployment workups and maintenance operations at NAS North Island before carrier deployments throughout the Cold War, with air wing maintenance personnel working in NAS North Island maintenance facilities accumulating background asbestos exposure from the station’s asbestos-containing facility construction during workup periods
  • Enlisted barracks and housing — the enlisted barracks and junior officer quarters at NAS North Island constructed during WWII and the Cold War used military construction specifications with asbestos-containing floor tile, ceiling materials, and pipe insulation in the residential facility construction. Naval aviation personnel and carrier crew living in NAS North Island barracks accumulated background asbestos exposure from the residential facility construction during their North Island assignments

VA Claims for NAS North Island Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at naval air stations. Naval aviation personnel, carrier crew, and shore-assigned ratings who served at Naval Air Station North Island and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.