USS Bainbridge (CGN-25) and USS Truxtun (CGN-35) were one-of-a-kind nuclear-powered guided missile cruisers built as the Navy explored nuclear propulsion for surface combatants in the early 1960s. USS Bainbridge, commissioned in 1962 at Bethlehem Steel’s Quincy Shipyard, was the world’s first nuclear-powered cruiser; USS Truxtun, commissioned in 1967 at New York Shipbuilding’s Camden yard, was a later development with improved weapons systems. Both ships served as carrier battle group escorts throughout the Cold War, with their nuclear propulsion providing unlimited range without refueling. Built in the early-to-mid 1960s at the height of asbestos use in naval construction, both CGNs carried asbestos insulation in their secondary steam systems and interior construction.

Nuclear Secondary Steam Plant and Asbestos

Both CGN-25 and CGN-35 generated secondary steam from their nuclear reactor plants for propulsion and ship services:

  • Secondary steam system insulation — the secondary steam piping from steam generators to propulsion turbines and ship service turbine generators in both ships used asbestos pipe covering consistent with early-to-mid 1960s naval construction standards — the era of full asbestos use in nuclear surface combatant construction
  • Ship service steam distribution — auxiliary steam serving hotel loads throughout both ships used asbestos-insulated steam supply piping in the ship’s service steam distribution system
  • Propulsion and SSTG turbine casings — main propulsion turbines and ship service turbine generators had asbestos insulation on turbine casing external surfaces in early-1960s construction

Carrier Battle Group Operations

Both Bainbridge and Truxtun operated as carrier battle group escorts, conducting extended deployments at sea:

  • Nuclear-qualified Machinist’s Mates and Electrician’s Mates aboard both ships stood engineering watches in the nuclear engineering spaces during extended carrier battle group deployments — sustained watch rotations in secondary steam system environments with asbestos insulation consistent with their 1960s-era construction

Historical Significance as Nuclear Pioneers

Bainbridge and Truxtun represented the Navy’s first deliberate development of nuclear surface combatants:

  • The engineering personnel who served aboard Bainbridge and Truxtun were among the first nuclear-qualified surface ship engineering ratings in the Navy, establishing the nuclear surface ship engineering tradition that would continue through the California and Virginia class programs
  • The nuclear power plant experience on both ships — in early-1960s-era secondary steam systems with asbestos insulation — represents the founding era of nuclear surface combatant asbestos exposure

VA Claims for CGN 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. Nuclear-qualified engineering ratings who served in engineering billets aboard USS Bainbridge or USS Truxtun 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 Bainbridge & USS Truxtun (CGN)

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.