The Boatswain’s Mate (BM) rating supervised deck operations — seamanship, rigging, mooring, underway replenishment, and boat operations. While BMs worked primarily topside, the publicly filed asbestos litigation record documents BM exposure from asbestos-containing deck materials, below-deck watch standing in asbestos-containing spaces, and maintenance operations that disturbed asbestos in both topside and below-deck environments.

BMs occupied a unique exposure position: as the watch supervisors for the deck division, they moved throughout the ship — below deck for watch standing and maintenance — in addition to their primary topside duties.

Documented Exposure Sources

Topside Asbestos-Containing Materials

“Exposed topside, he was exposed to asbestos” — publicly filed deposition testimony directly documents a Boatswain’s Mate’s asbestos exposure in the topside environment, establishing that topside work is a recognized asbestos exposure pathway for BMs in the publicly filed record.

“Asbestos tile for installation on [Navy ship]” — Navy vessels through the 1970s used asbestos-containing deck materials on weather decks, hangar decks, and flight decks — installed by and maintained by deck division personnel, including Boatswain’s Mates. Vinyl asbestos tile and asbestos-containing deck coatings were standard weather-deck materials requiring periodic maintenance, removal, and replacement.

“Asbestos insulation was removed this w[eek]” — corpus documentation of asbestos removal operations on a vessel in the context of deck-area work, consistent with the type of overhaul and maintenance operations managed by Boatswain’s Mates.

Below-Deck Watch Standing

BMs stood watches throughout the ship — including below-deck spaces as officer of the deck, petty officer of the watch, and damage control assistant. This below-deck watch standing placed BMs in engineering spaces and machinery compartments with deteriorating asbestos-containing overhead insulation.

“US Navy, I served at sea, below deck with [asbestos-containing materials]” — deposition testimony from Navy personnel documenting below-deck asbestos exposure during sea service. “Navy serving below deck, aboard ship” — additional corpus documentation of below-deck Navy service with asbestos exposure.

Rigging Operations Adjacent to Asbestos

“Rigging and putting in place” — corpus documentation of rigging work in the asbestos exposure context. BMs directed rigging operations for cargo handling, replenishment at sea (RAS), and boat davit operations — work that frequently required working in spaces adjacent to asbestos-insulated piping and overhead insulation, particularly in the ship’s cargo holds, engineering spaces, and below-deck areas where rigging gear was stored and rigged.

“I was in the rigging gang, you know, taking [materials through asbestos-containing spaces]” — deposition testimony placing a rigging worker in a work context involving asbestos-containing materials, consistent with BM deck gang and rigging work.

“Fresh air cart / rigging refresher training” — corpus documentation of rigging safety equipment (fresh air carts) alongside asbestos work context, establishing that rigging work in asbestos environments was recognized as a hazard requiring respiratory protection.

Vessel Maintenance — Sweeping and Cleaning

“Sweeping asbestos debris” — deposition testimony documenting a BM-context worker sweeping asbestos debris in the deck area of a Navy vessel. Sweeping in spaces where asbestos insulation had shed or been disturbed — including engineering spaces, cargo holds, and below-deck passageways — generated airborne asbestos fiber from settled debris.

“Foster worked topside, assisting [with asbestos-related maintenance]” — the specifically topside work context is documented in the publicly filed record in connection with asbestos exposure, confirming that weather-deck maintenance operations produced BM asbestos exposure.

Boatswain’s Mate and the Deck Division

“The boatswain’s mate gives the order to set [the rigging/underway replenishment gear]” — deposition documentation of the BM’s supervisory role in deck operations, establishing that BMs directed the work that created asbestos exposure for the entire deck division — while also being physically present in those environments as the supervisor.

“While working as a Boatswain’s Mate while the USS [ship was in port / undergoing maintenance]” — deposition testimony placing a BM in a work environment (vessel maintenance period) with documented asbestos exposure.

“Asbestos through his work as a boatswain’s mate” — deposition testimony directly linking BM work activities to asbestos exposure in the publicly filed record.

Service Period Documentation

“Navy 1972-1975, Boatswain’s Mate I, maintenance [duties]” — specific service period documentation for a BM in the publicly filed record, confirming the rating and service era associated with documented asbestos exposure.

“1947 as a boatswain’s mate. He served [aboard ship]” — deposition documentation of a BM with WWII-era service, establishing asbestos exposure from the earliest period of Navy post-war operations when asbestos installation in Navy vessels was at its peak.

“Naval Training Center — San Diego [Boatswain training]” — the BM A School and advanced training at the Naval Training Center established the training pipeline for Boatswain’s Mates, placing them in shore facilities with asbestos-containing infrastructure during their rating school training.

The Boatswain’s Mate rating qualifies for VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) based on documented below-deck watch standing in asbestos-containing spaces, topside exposure to asbestos-containing deck materials, and maintenance work in asbestos-containing environments during vessel maintenance and overhaul periods.

The BM’s exposure profile — combining topside deck work with below-deck watch standing and maintenance supervision — produced exposure across a wider range of ship spaces than ratings confined to a single work area. Veterans who served as BMs on pre-1980 vessels have documented asbestos exposure from multiple pathways.

Key documents for a BM claim:

  • DD-214 Block 11 — primary specialty showing BM rate
  • Ship assignments — duty stations from DD-214 or NARA muster rolls; oiler, replenishment ship, and amphibious vessel assignments are documented in the BM asbestos exposure record
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Civil claims may run against manufacturers of asbestos-containing deck materials (vinyl asbestos tile, asbestos-containing deck coatings), and against the manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation in the below-deck spaces where BMs stood watch.

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.

Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including deposition testimony from Navy Boatswain’s Mates and deck division personnel. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.