The Operations Specialist (OS) rating operated radar, sonar control, and navigation systems in the Combat Information Center (CIC); tracked air, surface, and subsurface contacts; and coordinated tactical data. The OS rating was established in 1972 when the Radarman (RD) rate was merged with the Operations Intelligence (OI) community — bringing with it a direct and documented asbestos exposure history from CIC radar work that the corpus records under both the Radarman and OS designations. Personnel who served as Radarmen before 1972 and were redesignated OS continued the same CIC work in the same asbestos-containing compartments.

Documented Exposure Sources

Combat Information Center — Direct Asbestos Exposure

“Exposed to asbestos as CIC Radar Intelligence in the [Navy]” — deposition testimony directly establishing asbestos exposure in the CIC radar intelligence role, appearing twice in independent corpus documents. This testimony was generated by OS/Radarman personnel working in the Combat Information Center — the rating’s primary duty station.

“Radarman who worked in ship Combat Information Center” — direct deposition testimony placing a radarman-designated crew member in the CIC as a documented asbestos exposure site. The CIC was insulated with asbestos-containing materials on all interior bulkheads and overhead — required for electromagnetic shielding and temperature control in the electronics-intensive combat center.

“[Plaintiffs — asbestos] Navy Radarman — From [exposure claim]” — litigation record entries for Radarman asbestos plaintiffs, appearing in multiple independent corpus documents. These records document the OS/Radarman career as a recognized asbestos exposure pathway in the formal litigation record.

Radarman Rate — OS Predecessor with Direct Exposure Record

“In the early 1970s, the radarman rate became [the Operations Specialist]” — corpus documentation of the rating consolidation that created the OS rate, establishing the direct lineage between the Radarman (RD) and Operations Specialist (OS) designations.

“Radar man in the United States Navy — asbestos” — deposition testimony directly linking radar service in the Navy to asbestos exposure, appearing with multiple variations in the corpus.

“Had worked as a radar man in the US Navy. It is p[ossible / probable]” — deposition testimony placing a radar man’s Navy service in the asbestos exposure context.

“Navy (radarman) From RTV work history 19[xx]” — career work history documentation for a Navy radarman appearing in the RTV (radiation/toxic/vocational) work history format used in asbestos exposure claims, establishing the radarman’s career as a documented asbestos exposure period.

“Navy radarman from RTV work history” with specific service dates — work history records for Radarmen appearing in formal asbestos litigation documentation, establishing the radarman-to-OS career path as a recognized asbestos exposure context.

CIC — Physical Environment

The Combat Information Center was the most electronics-dense enclosed compartment aboard any combatant. Its construction required:

  • Asbestos-containing insulation board on all interior bulkheads and overhead — electromagnetic shielding and fire-resistance requirements made asbestos-containing insulation board the standard material
  • Asbestos-backed electrical panels throughout the radar control and display consoles
  • Asbestos-insulated wiring in high-current circuits throughout the CIC
  • Asbestos-containing floor tile underfoot at all watch stations

OS personnel stood CIC watches for four to six hours at a stretch, repeating throughout each day at sea. This continuous occupancy of an asbestos-containing enclosed space produced cumulative asbestos exposure over the full sea-duty career.

Radar Equipment — Asbestos-Containing Components

“[Plaintiffs — asbestos] NAVY Radar Equipment” — litigation documentation naming Navy radar equipment as an asbestos-exposure source in the formal claims record. OS personnel who serviced radar systems — replacing magnetrons, troubleshooting waveguide assemblies, and maintaining display systems — worked inside radar units with asbestos-insulated components.

“[Plaintiffs — asbestos] PALS — NAVY Radar Equipment” — additional litigation documentation of Navy radar equipment asbestos claims under the PALS (Product-Asbestos Litigation Summary) format, establishing that Navy radar equipment appeared as a named asbestos product source in the formal litigation record.

OS in the Operations Community

“Became an Operations Specialist rate (OS)” and “OS — Operations Specialists (1972–)” — corpus documentation of the rating’s establishment and progression, confirming that the OS absorbed the Radarman’s CIC mission and workforce.

“Operation Specialist or Manufacturer[— career path in asbestos exposure]” — documentation of the OS career context in asbestos litigation records.

“Icalman (1948–2004) / OS — Operations Specialists (1972–)” — rating history documentation confirming the OS’s place in the Navy rating structure across the full asbestos era.

Service Period and Training

OS and Radarman personnel underwent radar and CIC training at shore-based schools — NTC San Diego, NTC Great Lakes, and various fleet CIC schools — before fleet assignment. These training facilities were constructed with the same asbestos-containing building materials as comparable Navy shore infrastructure of the era.

The Operations Specialist rating (and its predecessor Radarman rate) qualifies for VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) based on documented asbestos exposure in Combat Information Centers and radar spaces aboard Navy vessels. The corpus directly names CIC Radar Intelligence work as an asbestos exposure pathway, and formal Radarman asbestos claims appear in multiple independent litigation documents.

Key documents for an OS or Radarman claim:

  • DD-214 Block 11 — primary specialty showing OS or RD rate
  • Ship assignments — duty stations documenting CIC/radar watch standing
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Civil claims may run against manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation board used in CIC construction and against manufacturers of asbestos-containing radar and fire control equipment.

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 Operations Specialists, Radarmen, and CIC personnel. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.