Aviation Support Equipment Technicians (AS rating) were responsible for the maintenance and repair of the ground support equipment (GSE) used to service Navy aircraft — including aircraft starting units (ASUs), power units, hydraulic test stands, maintenance platforms, and flight line vehicles. This equipment operated engines and hydraulic systems that required asbestos-containing gaskets, packing materials, and high-temperature insulation throughout the period when such materials were standard in aviation ground support equipment.

Asbestos in Ground Support Equipment

The jet aircraft starting units, power generation carts, and hydraulic test stands that AS-rated sailors maintained used internal combustion engines and hydraulic systems with asbestos-containing components:

  • Engine gaskets and manifold seals on jet aircraft starting units and power generation equipment used asbestos spiral-wound gaskets and sheet gasket material in high-temperature applications
  • Hydraulic system packing and seals on test equipment maintaining aircraft hydraulic systems used asbestos-containing valve packing in pressure systems
  • Exhaust system insulation on ground power units and ASUs used asbestos-containing insulation on exhaust manifolds and muffler systems
  • Heating systems in maintenance vehicles and equipment used for cold-weather operations incorporated asbestos-insulated exhaust and heating components

Flight Line and Hangar Environments

AS-rated sailors worked in hangar and flight line environments that contained additional asbestos sources beyond their specific equipment. Hangars at naval air stations contained asbestos fireproofing on structural steel, asbestos-containing roofing, and pipe insulation on steam heating systems — the same materials that created asbestos exposure for all ratings working in these spaces.

Shore Duty Patterns

Aviation Support Equipment Technicians typically served at naval air stations and on aircraft carriers, with shore duty assignments at NAS facilities concentrated in the continental US, Guantanamo, Subic Bay, and other fleet aviation hubs. Shore installations where AS ratings worked had documented asbestos-containing building and equipment infrastructure consistent with other Navy aviation maintenance environments.

VA Claims for AS-Rated Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure for enlisted Navy personnel. AS-rated veterans who served aboard carriers or at naval air stations before the early 1980s and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits. DD-214 records identifying AS (Aviation Support Equipment Technician) as a rating establish the occupational context for VA purposes.