Construction Electricians — CEs — in the Naval Construction Force (Seabees) were the Navy’s military construction electricians, responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining electrical systems at Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) construction projects worldwide. CE Seabees deployed with NMCBs to construct and maintain air bases, forward operating bases, expeditionary facilities, and naval installations in support of US military operations — from Vietnam War construction support to Cold War NATO construction projects. CE Seabees working in construction environments before the late 1970s encountered asbestos in electrical system components and in the building materials used in military construction.

Electrical System Components and Asbestos

CE Seabees installing and maintaining electrical systems encountered asbestos in multiple electrical system components:

  • Electrical panel and switchgear construction — electrical distribution panels, switchgear, and motor control centers in military construction projects built before the late 1970s used asbestos-containing materials in arc chutes, thermal protection, and panel construction. CE Seabees installing and maintaining these panels encountered asbestos in the panel components during installation, maintenance, and repair
  • Wire and cable insulation — some military-specification electrical wire and cable used in Seabee construction projects carried asbestos braid insulation as the outer jacket for high-temperature or fire-resistant service applications in older specifications. CE Seabees cutting and splicing asbestos-insulated wire disturbed asbestos fiber in the cutting and stripping operations
  • Motor winding insulation — electric motor windings in construction equipment and installed facility motors used asbestos insulation on motor windings in older motor designs. CE maintenance of motors with asbestos-insulated windings involved disturbance of motor winding insulation during motor inspection and repair
  • Conduit and box gaskets — asbestos-containing gaskets at conduit fittings, junction box covers, and weatherproof enclosure seals in some military construction electrical specifications

WWII-Era Facility Maintenance

CE Seabees assigned to maintenance of existing naval construction — particularly WWII-era Pacific Island bases, Vietnam-era facilities, and older CONUS naval stations — worked in buildings and infrastructure built with extensive asbestos-containing construction materials:

  • Electrical system maintenance in WWII-era Seabee-built quonset huts, barracks, and support buildings involved working in and around asbestos-containing building materials throughout the facility
  • Electrical panel maintenance in WWII-era construction often involved panels built with asbestos-containing materials in the panel construction

VA Claims for CE Seabee Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from construction operations in Navy service. Construction Electricians who performed electrical work in military construction projects involving asbestos-containing electrical components or building materials and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.