The Brooke class (FFG-1) guided missile frigates — USS Brooke (FFG-1) through USS Julius A. Furer (FFG-6), commissioned between 1966 and 1968 — were the guided missile-armed variants of the Garcia class ocean escort, replacing the Garcia’s after gun mount with a Tartar surface-to-air missile launcher and associated guided missile fire control systems. The Brooke class served as carrier battle group and convoy escorts throughout the Cold War, with their steam propulsion plants inherited from the Garcia class design. Built in the mid-1960s at the height of asbestos use in naval construction, Brooke class ships carried asbestos insulation in their engineering spaces throughout their service lives.

Steam Engineering Plant and Asbestos

Brooke class frigates used the same steam propulsion plant as the Garcia class:

  • Main propulsion boilers — the Brooke class Combustion Engineering D-type boilers in the fire rooms used asbestos insulation on boiler casings, steam drum exterior, and superheater headers consistent with mid-1960s naval boiler construction standards. Boiler Technicians assigned to Brooke class fire rooms stood watch in the asbestos-insulated boiler room environment
  • Main steam piping — main steam piping from the fire room to the engine room used asbestos pipe covering throughout the steam distribution system in the frigate’s engineering spaces
  • Engine room turbine and reduction gear — the main propulsion turbine set had asbestos insulation on turbine casing external surfaces

Combat System Integration

The Brooke class’s addition of the Tartar missile system added below-deck equipment rooms for missile fire control electronics:

  • Missile fire control equipment spaces in the Brooke class used interior construction materials consistent with the mid-1960s construction era, with asbestos-containing materials in the building structure of below-deck equipment spaces

Cold War Carrier Escort Operations

Brooke class frigates served as carrier battle group escorts and convoy escorts throughout the Cold War:

  • Engineering ratings aboard Brooke class frigates during carrier battle group operations and Cold War deployments stood continuous watch rotations in the fire rooms and engine rooms, accumulating asbestos exposure from the asbestos-insulated engineering spaces throughout each deployment

VA Claims for Brooke Class Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Engineering ratings who served in fireroom and engine room billets aboard Brooke class guided missile frigates and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Product & Manufacturer Reference

The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.

Pipe Covering & Block Insulation Thermal insulation applied to steam lines, valves, and equipment in engine rooms and fire rooms Marine Products Insulation, gaskets, and packing products specified for naval and commercial marine applications Boilers & Steam Equipment Boiler manufacturers and insulation products — central to the fire room exposure pathway Gaskets & Packing Sheet and ring gaskets used throughout piping flanges, valve bonnets, and pump housings Electrical Products Wire insulation, switchgear arc chutes, and panel liners used throughout electrical spaces Full Product Index Search all 200+ manufacturers and 1,500+ documented asbestos products on AsbestosIndex™

Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Brooke Class

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:

VA Disability Claims for Asbestos-Related Disease

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates asbestos claims individually. A veteran generally needs medical evidence of a current asbestos-related disease, service evidence supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a medical opinion connecting the two. Ship assignments, Navy ratings, and equipment records can help document the exposure history but do not create automatic service connection.

Approved claims may provide monthly disability compensation and related benefits. Survivors may separately qualify for Dependency & Indemnity Compensation when the applicable requirements are met. Civil lawsuits and asbestos-trust claims use different standards; claimants should obtain individualized advice about how the processes interact.

How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.

VA Claims Guide on This Site › Compare: VA vs. Civil Lawsuit

Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.