Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, located adjacent to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach, Virginia, served as the primary shore installation for the United States Atlantic Fleet’s amphibious force throughout the Cold War and into the present day. NAB Little Creek homeported amphibious assault ships (LHA, LHD, LPH), dock landing ships (LSD), amphibious transport docks (LPD), and tank landing ships (LST), and served as the home of Atlantic Fleet SEAL teams, Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, and amphibious warfare training commands. The base was established as an amphibious training base during World War II and expanded extensively through the Cold War, with the WWII and Cold War construction using military construction materials that incorporated asbestos-containing building materials throughout the landing ship pier facilities, amphibious ship maintenance buildings, barracks, training facilities, and administrative buildings constructed during the base’s decades of development. Ship’s company personnel serving aboard Little Creek-homeported amphibious ships and shore support ratings accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing construction of the base facilities and from the asbestos-containing construction of the WWII-era and Cold War-era amphibious vessels homeported at the base.

WWII-Era and Cold War Facility Asbestos

Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek’s construction incorporated asbestos throughout:

  • Pier-side maintenance and amphibious ship support facilities — the waterfront maintenance buildings and pier-side support facilities at NAB Little Creek used to support homeported amphibious ships were constructed using Cold War military construction specifications with asbestos-containing building materials in the waterfront facility construction. Ship’s company personnel and shore support ratings working in Little Creek pier-side facilities accumulated background asbestos exposure from the waterfront facility construction
  • Amphibious training facilities — the amphibious warfare training facilities, boat pool buildings, and small craft maintenance facilities at NAB Little Creek used for training amphibious operations personnel were constructed with asbestos-containing building materials in the training facility construction. Amphibious warfare training personnel and SEAL team support personnel working in training facilities accumulated background asbestos exposure from the facility construction
  • Enlisted barracks — the enlisted barracks at NAB Little Creek constructed during the WWII base establishment and Cold War expansion used military construction with asbestos-containing floor tile, ceiling materials, and pipe insulation. Amphibious force ship’s company and shore duty personnel living in Little Creek barracks accumulated background asbestos exposure from the residential facility construction

Amphibious Ship Engineering Plant Asbestos

Ships homeported at Little Creek brought additional asbestos exposure:

  • LST and LSD steam plant engineering — the tank landing ships (LST) and dock landing ships (LSD) homeported at Little Creek during the Cold War era incorporated steam propulsion plants with asbestos-containing boiler insulation and steam plant pipe insulation consistent with their WWII-era and early Cold War construction. Engineering ratings serving aboard Little Creek-homeported steam-powered amphibious ships accumulated steam plant asbestos exposure in addition to shore facility background exposure
  • LHA and LPH aviation and engineering spaces — the amphibious assault ships homeported at Little Creek — LPH and LHA class ships providing helicopter-borne amphibious assault capability — incorporated asbestos-containing construction in their aviation spaces and engineering plant consistent with Cold War naval construction specifications

VA Claims for Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek Veterans

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