Naval Training Center Newport, located in Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island, hosted multiple Navy training and education commands on the historic Newport naval complex — including Officer Candidate School (OCS), the Naval Justice School, the Naval War College, and surface warfare officer schools. The Newport naval complex included base infrastructure dating from the late 19th century through WWII and postwar periods, with the training buildings and barracks used for OCS and other training programs reflecting a mix of construction eras and building stock.

Historic and WWII-Era Training Facility Buildings and Asbestos

The Newport naval complex’s building stock accumulated asbestos-containing construction materials across multiple construction eras:

  • OCS barracks and candidate berthing buildings — the OCS candidate barracks and berthing buildings at NTC Newport included WWII-era and postwar institutional buildings using standard period construction materials including asbestos ceiling tile, asbestos floor tile, and asbestos pipe insulation in the building heating systems. Officer candidates attending OCS lived in these barracks throughout their OCS training period in proximity to the buildings’ asbestos-containing construction materials
  • Officer candidate classroom and training facilities — the classroom buildings, drill halls, and training facilities used for OCS and other Newport training programs used institutional building construction with asbestos-containing building products consistent with the era of their construction. Instructors assigned to OCS on permanent party status worked in these classroom facilities throughout extended duty tours at Newport
  • Naval War College building complex — the Naval War College on Coasters Harbor Island used historic and WWII-era building stock including Luce Hall and other academic facilities, with the older buildings in the complex incorporating asbestos-containing building materials in their construction and renovation throughout the Cold War period

Steam Heating Systems at Newport Complex

Newport’s historic naval complex used steam heating with asbestos-containing distribution systems:

  • The central and distributed steam heating systems serving the Newport naval complex buildings used asbestos-insulated steam distribution piping throughout the utility infrastructure, with Utilitiesmen maintaining the aging steam heating system in proximity to asbestos pipe insulation throughout the base utility infrastructure

VA Claims for NTC Newport Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at Navy training facilities. Navy personnel who attended OCS, Naval War College, Naval Justice School, or other training programs at NTC Newport or Naval Station Newport and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.