Mess Management Specialists (MS) — Navy enlisted ratings responsible for food preparation, mess deck management, and food service operations — served aboard Navy ships of all types operating the shipboard galley and providing meals to the ship’s company. Mess Management Specialists (previously rated as Commissarymen, CS) operated ship’s galleys, managed food stores, and maintained the mess deck facilities essential to ship’s company nutrition throughout deployments. MS ratings worked in shipboard galleys and mess deck spaces located within the ship’s hull, in proximity to the steam supply lines serving the galley cooking equipment and in the same hull areas that incorporated asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with the ship’s construction period. MS ratings working in shipboard galleys and mess decks aboard Cold War-era naval vessels commissioned during the asbestos construction period accumulated background asbestos exposure from the asbestos-containing pipe insulation, deck tile, and construction materials present in the galley and mess deck hull spaces.

Shipboard Galley and Mess Deck Construction Asbestos

MS ratings in ship’s galley and mess deck spaces accumulated background asbestos:

  • Galley space hull construction and steam supply piping — ship’s galleys aboard Cold War-era naval vessels were constructed within the hull interior using construction materials consistent with the vessel’s construction period, with steam supply piping running to steam-heated galley cooking equipment incorporating asbestos-containing pipe insulation consistent with the ship’s steam distribution system. MS ratings working in ship’s galleys in proximity to the steam supply piping and galley space overhead and bulkhead construction accumulated background asbestos exposure from the hull construction materials present in the galley spaces throughout their shipboard galley assignments
  • Mess deck floor tile and overhead construction — the mess deck spaces where shipboard meals were served incorporated resilient floor tile, overhead paneling, and interior construction materials consistent with the vessel’s construction period. Ships commissioned in the 1950s and 1960s incorporated asbestos-containing vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) in the mess deck deck covering and asbestos-containing materials in the overhead construction. MS ratings working in mess deck spaces accumulated background asbestos exposure from the mess deck construction materials
  • Galley equipment steam supply valve packing — the steam supply valves serving steam-heated galley cooking equipment aboard Cold War-era ships used asbestos-containing braided packing in valve stem stuffing boxes consistent with the steam system construction of the period. MS ratings or engineering ratings repacking steam supply valves in galley areas encountered asbestos-containing valve stem packing during valve maintenance

Aircraft Carrier Galley and Mess Deck Asbestos

MS ratings on aircraft carriers worked in large food service facilities with the carrier’s asbestos:

  • Carrier galley and mess deck construction — aircraft carriers maintained large galley complexes and multiple mess decks to feed their 4,000-5,000 person crews, with the galley and mess deck spaces constructed within the carrier hull incorporating asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with the carrier’s construction period. MS ratings assigned to carrier food service operations worked in these hull spaces throughout carrier deployments

VA Claims for Mess Management Specialist Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy ship service. Mess Management Specialists who served aboard Cold War-era naval vessels and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.