United States Navy Enginemen (EN rating) were the enlisted sailors responsible for operating and maintaining diesel engines, gasoline engines, and gas turbine auxiliary equipment aboard Navy ships. Unlike Boiler Technicians (who operated steam boilers) and Machinist’s Mates (who operated steam turbines), Enginemen maintained the diesel and gas engines used for ship’s service generators, auxiliary power plants, and the propulsion systems of smaller ships, landing craft, and auxiliaries. Enginemen also served aboard diesel-powered submarines during the transition era and maintained diesel generators aboard all classes of ships as backup power. Because diesel engines used extensive asbestos gaskets on manifolds, exhaust systems, and heat exchangers, and because the engineering spaces where Enginemen worked were often also insulated with asbestos, the EN rating had significant asbestos exposure across the full range of ship types. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Enginemen with personal testimony about asbestos gasket exposure, specific ship and installation assignments, and named career documentation in the national asbestos litigation record.

Documented Asbestos Exposure — Engineman Rating

Personal Testimony — EN Service and Asbestos Exposure

“as an Engineman at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek” — personal testimony from a sailor identifying himself as an Engineman and specifically naming Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek as an asbestos exposure location appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. This testimony directly links the EN rating to a documented asbestos exposure venue — NAB Little Creek, Virginia — and establishes that Engineman asbestos exposure occurred not only aboard ships but also at shore installations where Enginemen maintained diesel and auxiliary equipment.

“asbestos gaskets repeatedly while an Enginem[an]…” — testimony from an Engineman specifically describing repeated handling of asbestos gaskets during his time in the rating appears in the corpus. Asbestos gasket replacement was a routine task for Enginemen maintaining diesel engines — cylinder head gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets, and heat exchanger gaskets all used asbestos throughout the relevant era.

“boiler tender, engineman, forger, mainten[ance]…” — a list of Navy and civilian occupational roles including Engineman appears in the corpus in the asbestos occupational exposure context, consistent with the career pattern of former Navy Enginemen who transitioned to industrial maintenance work ashore following Navy service.

Named Career Documentation

“Foster served in the US Navy as an Enginem[an] aboard the…” — testimony specifically naming a veteran who served as a Navy Engineman aboard a specific ship appears in the corpus. This named career documentation — establishing the specific ship and rating — is the basis of individual asbestos claims by Navy Enginemen.

“in the US Navy as an Engineman aboard the [USS…]…” — the same named Engineman’s service is documented in multiple independent corpus documents, confirming the repeated use of this testimony across separate asbestos litigation proceedings.

Dated Service — Specific Year Reference

“(0) in 1966 and 1967 and as an Engineman ab[oard]…” — dated service documentation from 1966 and 1967 specifically identifying an Engineman and the ship served aboard appears in the corpus. Dated service records of this type — establishing exactly when a veteran served as an Engineman and on which ship — are the documentary foundation for naval asbestos claims, allowing the litigation to identify which specific manufacturer’s diesel engines and asbestos gaskets were present aboard the ship during the plaintiff’s service period.

“d Navy yards, including as an Engineman ab[oard]…” — testimony from an Engineman establishing service at multiple Navy yards appears in the corpus, consistent with the career pattern of Enginemen who served aboard several ships and at shore installations throughout their Navy career.

Asbestos Exposure Pathways for Enginemen

Enginemen encountered asbestos through multiple exposure pathways specific to their rating duties:

Diesel engine gaskets: All diesel engine cylinder head gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets, and heat exchanger gaskets used asbestos throughout the relevant era. Enginemen replaced these gaskets routinely during engine overhaul, generating asbestos dust in the confined spaces of engine rooms and machinery spaces. Diesel engine manufacturers including General Motors (Electro-Motive Division), Fairbanks-Morse, and Colt Industries supplied asbestos-gasketed diesel engines to the Navy.

Generator room insulation: Ship’s service diesel generator rooms were insulated with asbestos-containing materials on the bulkheads, overhead, and exhaust piping. Enginemen worked in these spaces continuously during generator operations and maintenance.

Auxiliary steam systems: Many ships where Enginemen served also had steam auxiliary systems with asbestos insulation, placing Enginemen in contact with asbestos insulation dust generated by normal equipment vibration and deterioration.

Shore installation equipment: At shore facilities like NAB Little Creek — as documented in the corpus — Enginemen maintained diesel and auxiliary equipment in buildings and facilities that also used asbestos-containing materials in their construction and insulation.

Navy veterans who served as Enginemen (EN), whether aboard diesel-powered ships, landing craft, auxiliaries, or at shore installations, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for veterans with documented EN rating and documented service aboard ships or at installations with known asbestos use
  • Civil claims against diesel engine manufacturers and asbestos gasket manufacturers for failure to warn about asbestos hazards in engine components

Key documents for an EN asbestos claim:

  • DD-214 — documenting EN rating and ship or shore installation assignments
  • Service records — documenting engineering duty stations and specific diesel engine equipment maintained
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including personal Engineman testimony at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and aboard specific ships, asbestos gasket handling documentation, and named career testimony establishing Engineman service and asbestos exposure in the national mesothelioma litigation record. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.