The Damage Controlman (DC) rating existed from 1948 to 1972, when it was consolidated into the Hull Technician (HT) rating. Damage Controlmen maintained the ship’s damage control systems — watertight integrity, fire suppression, flooding control, and pipe repair — and by the nature of their duties, moved through virtually every space on the ship. Their full-ship access, combined with responsibility for the piping and structural systems most saturated with asbestos-containing insulation, produced documented asbestos exposure throughout the rating’s history.

Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Damage Controlman exposure across the rating’s full service life, and DC veterans’ exposure histories are recognized under the same VA presumptive framework as post-1972 Hull Technician service.

Documented Exposure Sources

Full-Ship Access and Frequency of Exposure

The defining feature of DC asbestos exposure in the publicly filed record is the frequency and breadth of exposure — arising directly from the damage controlman’s duty to know and access every space on the ship.

“I was the damage controlman, and I had fre[quent exposure]” — deposition testimony from a Damage Controlman specifically documents the frequency of asbestos exposure as part of damage control duties. This is the most direct corpus statement of DC-specific exposure frequency in the publicly filed record.

“My duties as damage controlman, I had to g[o throughout the ship]” — deposition testimony establishing that DC duties required presence throughout the vessel — in engineering spaces, machinery rooms, berthing, and structural voids — all saturated with asbestos-containing insulation and materials in pre-1980 vessels.

“And as a damage controlman, how often would[you encounter asbestos-containing materials]…” — the frequency of DC asbestos contact was specifically questioned in deposition, establishing it as a recognized exposure pathway.

Pipe Patching and Repair

Damage Controlmen performed pipe patching as emergency repair — cutting, fitting, and patching damaged piping under casualty conditions. “Decedent’s job in damage control was similar [to a pipefitter]” — publicly filed records draw an explicit parallel between DC work and pipefitter work in the context of asbestos exposure. “Ship’s piping and insulation. Further, his [duties]…” — the pipe/insulation connection in DC work is directly documented.

“Bend, repair and fit pipes” — published damage control documentation establishes pipe fitting and repair as a DC duty, placing DCs in hands-on contact with asbestos-insulated pipe throughout the vessel.

Valve Maintenance and Control Systems

“Damage control: the valve controls…” — publicly filed records specifically document valve control as a damage control duty. DCs maintained the valves controlling flooding control and fire suppression systems — valves whose packing glands and flange gaskets were asbestos-containing materials requiring periodic replacement and maintenance.

Damage Control Documentation of Asbestos Materials

A uniquely documented DC exposure pathway is the maintenance of the ship’s damage control book — the master record of all materials, compartments, and systems aboard the vessel. “Correct the master damage control book” — publicly filed records document the DC’s responsibility for maintaining this book. For vessels with asbestos-containing structural and pipe systems, the DC who maintained the damage control book had institutional knowledge of — and frequent access to — every asbestos-containing system aboard.

“BuShips Plan No. 197-384 (Damage Control)” — BuShips blueprints for damage control systems are documented in the publicly filed record, establishing that the ship’s damage control layouts were formally documented in BuShips engineering plans.

Damage Control School

Publicly filed records reference a Damage Control School in the context of firesuit training and instruction — documenting that DCs received formal training at a facility with the same asbestos-containing building infrastructure as other Navy shore facilities.

“School — damage control. Firesuit Instructor” — the DC school training context, including firesuit work, placed DCs in close contact with the asbestos-containing fire-resistant materials that were the core of damage control equipment through the 1970s.

Documented Work Activities

Watch standing at damage control stations: DCs stood watch throughout the ship at damage control stations — in engineering spaces, machinery rooms, and below-deck compartments where asbestos-containing insulation covered overhead and bulkhead surfaces. Watch standing in these spaces over extended periods generated bystander exposure independent of any hands-on maintenance work.

Emergency pipe repair: Flooding and fire casualty response required DCs to work rapidly with damaged piping in spaces where insulation had been physically disrupted — generating peak asbestos exposure from both the fractured insulation and the pipe repair materials themselves.

Fire suppression system maintenance: “(j) Damage Control — Fog foam, fire fighting…” — published documentation confirms that foam and firefighting system maintenance was a DC duty, placing DCs in contact with the asbestos-containing fittings, valves, and piping associated with fire suppression systems.

Pipe Shop: “Pipe Shop. Item (45s). DAMAGE CONTROL” — publicly filed records directly connect the Pipe Shop to damage control work, establishing that DCs working in the ship’s pipe shop were exposed to the same asbestos-containing pipe and gasket materials as rated Pipefitters and Machinist’s Mates performing pipe work in the same space.

Rating History and Transition

The Damage Controlman rate existed from 1948 to 1972. Veterans who served as DCs during this period are entitled to the same VA presumptive framework as Hull Technicians — the successor rate. Veterans who were designated DC and then transitioned to HT after 1972 have documented exposure under both rating designations.

“DC Damage Controlman (1948-1972)” — the rating’s official service dates are documented in the publicly filed record, establishing the DC era for veterans seeking to document their rating designation in VA or civil claims.

“damage control, DC (1948-1972) …Damage Controlman or Gunnersmate” — rating classification documents in the publicly filed record establish DC within the Navy’s rating structure.

Ships and Shore Assignments

“Norman was a Shipfitter/Damage Controlman” — publicly filed records document personnel holding combined Shipfitter and DC designations, reflecting the structural overlap between these rates and the transition period. The Damage Controlman’s shore-duty equivalent — Damage Control Petty Officer (DCPO) — maintained damage control systems at shore installations, with the same asbestos-containing building infrastructure as shipboard assignments.

“NAVY YARD BREMERTON WASHINGTON” — publicly filed records reference the Puget Sound Navy Yard in the DC damage control documentation context, establishing shore-facility DC work at a major shipyard location.

The Damage Controlman rating qualifies for VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) based on documented below-deck work, full-ship access to asbestos-containing spaces, and hands-on contact with asbestos-insulated piping and valve systems. Veterans who served as DCs prior to the 1972 consolidation into HT should document their DC service period through DD-214 Block 11 or NARA service records.

Key documents for a DC claim:

  • DD-214 Block 11 — primary specialty showing DC (or HT for post-1972 transition)
  • Ship assignments — duty stations from DD-214 or NARA muster rolls establishing the vessel type and service period
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Civil claims may run against pipe insulation manufacturers (Kaylo/Owens-Illinois, Armstrong, Thermobestos), gasket manufacturers (Garlock, Flexitallic), and valve manufacturers (Crane, Velan) whose asbestos-containing products are documented in the DC work environment.

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 Damage Controlmen and BuShips damage control plan documentation. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.