Disbursing Clerks — DK ratings — processed military pay, maintained pay records, issued pay, and managed disbursing operations for Navy personnel at shore commands and afloat. DK billets were at every significant shore command with a disbursing office, at Navy finance centers and district finance offices at naval stations, and aboard carriers and larger combatants with ship’s disbursing offices. Shore-based DK ratings worked in administrative building stock at naval stations throughout their duty assignments.

Shore Finance Office and Asbestos

DK ratings working in naval shore command disbursing offices accumulated secondary asbestos exposure:

  • Shore command administrative buildings — the disbursing offices and finance offices at naval stations, naval air stations, and major shore commands were located in administrative building complexes of the WWII-era or early Cold War construction using asbestos ceiling tile, asbestos floor tile, and asbestos pipe insulation in the building mechanical systems. DK ratings spending entire duty tours working in these finance office spaces were in proximity to the building’s deteriorating asbestos-containing construction materials throughout their assignment
  • Navy finance center buildings — the Navy finance center commands at various locations occupied large administrative building complexes of similar WWII-era and postwar institutional construction using asbestos-containing building products throughout the office and administrative spaces
  • Building renovation and maintenance — renovation and maintenance activities in occupied Navy administrative buildings periodically disturbed asbestos-containing ceiling tile, floor tile, and pipe insulation in the working spaces occupied by disbursing office staff, creating secondary exposure from ongoing building maintenance

Shipboard DK Billets

DK ratings serving in carrier and ship disbursing offices accumulated shipboard asbestos exposure:

  • Carrier disbursing office spaces — DK ratings serving in the ship’s disbursing office aboard Essex class, Midway class, and Forrestal class carriers worked in the asbestos-containing interior of these WWII-era and 1950s-1960s-era vessels during sea duty assignments
  • Amphibious ship disbursing — DK ratings aboard amphibious assault ships and larger amphibious vessels occupied disbursing offices in the asbestos-containing interior construction of these vessels throughout their sea duty tours

VA Claims for DK Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at naval shore facilities and aboard Navy vessels. Disbursing Clerks who served in shore commands with WWII-era or early Cold War building stock or aboard pre-1980 ships and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.