Religious Program Specialists — RP ratings — provided administrative, program, and chapel support for Navy chaplains conducting religious services, counseling, and pastoral care programs at shore commands and aboard ships. RP billets were at chaplain offices at every significant shore command, and in chaplain spaces aboard carriers, amphibious ships, and larger surface combatants. The RP rating was established in 1973 from the former Chaplain’s Assistant designation. RP ratings working in chapel and chaplain office facilities at shore commands accumulated secondary asbestos exposure from the building stock at these commands.

Shore Chaplain Office and Chapel Facilities and Asbestos

RP ratings working in shore command chapel and chaplain office facilities accumulated secondary asbestos exposure:

  • Chapel and chaplain office building stock — the chapels and chaplain office spaces at naval stations, naval air stations, and major shore commands were located in administrative building complexes and dedicated chapel buildings 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. RP ratings spending extended duty tours working in these chaplain office spaces were in proximity to the building’s deteriorating asbestos-containing construction materials throughout their assignment
  • Training command chapel facilities — the chaplain facilities at major Navy training commands — NTC Great Lakes, NTC San Diego, NATTC Pensacola — occupied buildings in the training center’s WWII-era and postwar building stock with asbestos-containing construction materials consistent with the training center’s building era
  • Building renovation and maintenance — renovation and maintenance of occupied Navy chapel and administrative buildings periodically disturbed asbestos-containing ceiling tile, floor tile, and pipe insulation in the chaplain office and chapel spaces, creating secondary exposure from building maintenance operations

Shipboard RP Billets

RP ratings serving aboard ships accumulated asbestos exposure from the ship interior:

  • Carrier chaplain spaces — RP ratings supporting chaplains 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 their sea duty assignments, with chaplain spaces and associated offices distributed in the carrier’s interior construction

VA Claims for RP Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure at naval shore facilities and aboard Navy vessels. Religious Program Specialists 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.