Naval Air Station Oceana, located in the Virginia Beach area of southeastern Virginia, serves as the United States Navy’s Master Jet Base for the Atlantic Fleet, homeporting carrier-based fighter and strike fighter squadrons assigned to Atlantic Fleet carrier air wings. NAS Oceana was the home of F-14 Tomcat interceptor squadrons throughout the Cold War, with the base hosting the Atlantic Fleet’s carrier fighter community from the F-8 Crusader era through the F-14 Tomcat decades and into the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet transition. Oceana’s location in the Hampton Roads area — near Norfolk Naval Station, Naval Station Little Creek, and the major Atlantic Fleet carrier homeport infrastructure — made it the central Atlantic Fleet tactical aviation maintenance and training hub. NAS Oceana’s Cold War construction and multiple expansions incorporated asbestos-containing building materials throughout its jet aircraft maintenance hangars, jet engine maintenance and test facilities, training facilities, and support buildings. Naval personnel stationed at NAS Oceana — aviation maintenance ratings, aircrews, and support personnel — accumulated background asbestos exposure from the station’s asbestos-containing construction throughout their Oceana assignments.

NAS Oceana Facility Asbestos

Naval Air Station Oceana’s construction incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • Carrier fighter aircraft maintenance hangars — the aircraft maintenance hangars at NAS Oceana used for maintaining F-8, F-14, and F/A-18 carrier fighter aircraft were constructed using Cold War military hangar construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing materials in the hangar structural fireproofing, overhead, and construction. Aviation mechanics and maintenance ratings performing carrier fighter maintenance in Oceana hangars accumulated background asbestos exposure from the hangar construction materials
  • Jet engine maintenance and test facilities — the jet engine maintenance shops and test cell facilities at NAS Oceana where J57, J79, TF30, and F404 turbine engines were maintained and tested were constructed using Cold War military construction specifications incorporating asbestos-containing building materials. Aviation Machinist’s Mates working in Oceana engine shops and test cells accumulated background asbestos exposure from facility construction and from turbine engine thermal insulation encountered during engine maintenance
  • Training and operational support facilities — the tactical air warfare training facilities, fleet readiness squadron training spaces, and operational support buildings at NAS Oceana incorporated asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with their Cold War construction periods
  • Residential facilities — the bachelor officers’ quarters, enlisted barracks, and family housing areas at NAS Oceana incorporated asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with their Cold War-era construction

VA Claims for NAS Oceana Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at naval shore installations. Navy personnel who served at Naval Air Station Oceana and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.