Naval Air Station Oceana, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has served as the United States Navy’s primary East Coast Master Jet Base since the jet aviation era — the home of East Coast carrier-based fighter and attack aviation. NAS Oceana hosts the Atlantic Fleet fighter wing, supporting carrier air wing fighter and attack squadrons with F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet, and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft throughout the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. The station provides maintenance, training, and administrative support for carrier-based strike fighter aviation for the Atlantic Fleet. NAS Oceana was established during World War II and substantially expanded during the Cold War carrier jet aviation buildup, with the facility construction of those eras incorporating asbestos-containing materials in the jet aircraft maintenance hangars, engine test cell facilities, squadron ready rooms, and support buildings throughout the installation. Aviation maintenance ratings — Aviation Machinist’s Mates, Aviation Structural Mechanics, Aviation Electrician’s Mates, and other aviation maintenance ratings — working in NAS Oceana’s maintenance facilities accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing construction of the hangars and maintenance facilities where they performed jet aircraft maintenance.

Jet Aircraft Maintenance Hangar Asbestos

NAS Oceana’s aircraft maintenance hangars incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • WWII-era and Cold War hangar construction — the aircraft maintenance hangars at NAS Oceana built during the WWII expansion and Cold War jet aviation buildup used military construction materials incorporating asbestos-containing roofing products, asbestos floor tile in hangar maintenance areas, asbestos-containing fireproofing on hangar structural steel, and asbestos pipe insulation on hangar heating and fire suppression system piping. Aviation maintenance ratings performing carrier aircraft maintenance in these hangars accumulated background asbestos exposure from the hangar construction materials throughout their assignments
  • F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 maintenance hangars — the carrier fighter squadron hangars supporting F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet maintenance at NAS Oceana were built using Cold War military construction specifications that in the 1950s and 1960s incorporated asbestos-containing building products. Aviation Machinist’s Mates and Aviation Structural Mechanics performing jet aircraft maintenance in these Cold War-era squadron hangars accumulated background asbestos exposure from the facility construction

Jet Engine Test Cell Facility Asbestos

NAS Oceana’s engine test facilities incorporated asbestos:

  • Engine test cell construction and exhaust insulation — the jet engine test cell facilities at NAS Oceana where turbojet and turbofan engines removed from carrier aircraft were tested following maintenance used high-temperature insulating materials in the test cell exhaust system construction, with some test cell exhaust insulation incorporating asbestos-containing materials in the high-temperature exhaust system construction. Aviation Machinist’s Mates performing engine test cell operations and maintenance worked in proximity to the test cell exhaust insulation materials

Barracks and Support Facility Asbestos

NAS Oceana residential and support construction incorporated asbestos:

  • Barracks and administrative building construction — WWII-era and Cold War barracks, bachelor officer quarters, squadron administrative buildings, and support facilities at NAS Oceana used military construction materials with asbestos-containing floor tile, ceiling products, and pipe insulation in the residential and administrative facility construction

VA Claims for NAS Oceana Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at naval air stations. Aviation maintenance ratings and personnel who served at NAS Oceana and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.