The Cimarron class consisted of four fleet oilers (AO-177 through AO-180) — Cimarron, Monongahela, Merrimack, and Willamette — commissioned between 1981 and 1983 at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Cimarron class replaced the older Neosho-class fleet oilers in the underway replenishment role, providing fuel oil, aviation gasoline, and helicopter-deliverable cargo to combatants during at-sea replenishment operations. While constructed in the early 1980s when the Navy’s asbestos phase-down was underway, the Cimarron-class engineering specifications still incorporated some asbestos-containing materials in the engineering plant construction consistent with the transitional construction period.

Engineering Plant Asbestos

The Cimarron class was built during the transitional period when asbestos was being phased out of Navy ship specifications:

  • Steam propulsion system — the Cimarron-class steam propulsion plant used diesel-electric propulsion in some configurations, with remaining steam system components in the engineering plant specification potentially incorporating asbestos-containing insulation materials from the transition period before the asbestos phase-down was complete in Navy ship specifications
  • Auxiliary steam system insulation — where steam systems were present in the Cimarron-class engineering plant, the early 1980s construction specifications may have included asbestos-containing insulation on steam piping and equipment in the early construction units before the full asbestos phase-out of Navy specifications
  • Gasket and packing materials — the Cimarron-class engineering plant used asbestos-containing gasket materials in pump and valve maintenance during the early years of the class’s service life before the complete transition to non-asbestos replacement gaskets

Fleet Oiler Operations

Cimarron-class oilers conducted continuous underway replenishment with fleet combatants:

  • Engineering ratings aboard the Cimarron class maintained the propulsion and cargo transfer engineering plant during underway replenishment operations, with sustained engineering watch duties in the machinery spaces

VA Claims for Cimarron-Class Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure aboard Navy logistics force ships. Engineering ratings who served aboard Cimarron-class oilers 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 Cimarron-Class Fleet Oilers (AO)

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 Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.

Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.

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.