The Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (AB) rating launched aircraft from carrier catapults, recovered them with arresting gear, fueled and spotted aircraft on the flight deck and hangar deck, and operated the carrier’s complex deck-handling equipment. The publicly filed asbestos litigation record documents AB exposure from sprayed asbestos on carrier flight decks, asbestos packing in catapult steam systems, asbestos in arresting gear components, and asbestos-containing construction materials in the hangar bay where ABs worked between flight operations.
The flight deck and hangar deck were among the most physically demanding and asbestos-dense environments in the Navy.
Documented Exposure Sources
Flight Deck — Sprayed Asbestos
Catapult Systems — Asbestos Packing
Arresting Gear — Asbestos-Containing Systems
ABs (ABE — Launch and Recovery Equipment) maintained arresting gear machinery spaces below the flight deck, where asbestos-insulated hydraulic equipment and asbestos-packed valve and flange connections were standard through the 1970s.
Hangar Bay — Asbestos Construction
Direct Asbestos Exposure Documentation — Flight Deck Personnel
Rating Specialties and Exposure
The AB rating was divided into three specialties with different equipment assignments — ABE (Launch and Recovery Equipment: catapults and arresting gear), ABF (Fuels: aircraft fueling systems), and ABH (Aircraft Handling: aircraft spotting and deck movement). All three specialties worked in the same flight deck and hangar bay environment; ABE had the most intensive asbestos exposure from catapult and arresting gear maintenance.
VA Claims and Legal Options for Aviation Boatswain’s Mate ABs
The Aviation Boatswain’s Mate rating qualifies for VA service connection under VA asbestos-claim guidance based on documented asbestos exposure from sprayed asbestos on carrier flight decks, asbestos packing in catapult and arresting gear systems, and asbestos-containing construction materials in carrier hangar bays. The flight deck and hangar deck are directly documented as asbestos exposure sites in the publicly filed litigation record.
Key documents for an AB claim:
- DD-214 Block 11 — primary specialty showing AB rate (and specialty: ABE, ABF, or ABH)
- Ship assignments — carrier duty stations; the flight deck/hangar deck exposure is specific to aircraft carrier assignments
- Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease
Civil claims may run against manufacturers of sprayed asbestos flight deck materials, asbestos packing in catapult and arresting gear systems, and asbestos-containing hangar bay construction materials.
Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956
All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.
Documented asbestos exposure information derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.