USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was commissioned in September 1968 at Newport News Shipbuilding as the last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier ordered for the US Navy. Kennedy served as an Atlantic Fleet carrier for 39 years — homeported at NS Mayport (Florida) — conducting Cold War Mediterranean deployments, Persian Gulf operations, and Atlantic Fleet training through 2007. Built in 1964-1968 on the cusp of the asbestos phase-down in naval construction, Kennedy’s eight-boiler steam plant was insulated with asbestos in the mid-1960s construction era, with engineering ratings standing watch in the asbestos-insulated engineering spaces throughout her lengthy service.

Engineering Plant and Mid-1960s Construction

USS Kennedy’s engineering plant was built in the mid-1960s with construction standards that incorporated asbestos:

  • Eight-boiler main propulsion plant — Kennedy’s eight high-pressure boilers in four fire rooms generated steam for propulsion and ship services with asbestos insulation on boiler casings, steam drums, and superheater headers consistent with mid-1960s naval construction standards. BTs assigned to Kennedy’s fire rooms stood in the same asbestos-insulated environment as their counterparts on earlier carriers throughout her service
  • Main steam piping — the carrier’s main steam distribution system used asbestos pipe covering in mid-1960s construction specifications
  • Engine room equipment — propulsion turbines and ship service turbine generators had asbestos insulation on casing external surfaces consistent with the construction era

Transition Construction Period

USS Kennedy’s construction (1964-1968) spans the period when the Navy was beginning to develop awareness of asbestos health risks but before systematic phase-down programs were implemented:

  • The earliest awareness of asbestos hazards in naval construction emerged in the 1960s, but construction specifications continued to require asbestos insulation throughout the period of Kennedy’s construction — meaning Kennedy was built with full asbestos specifications as the last conventionally-powered carrier

Mayport Homeport and Mediterranean Deployments

Kennedy’s homeport at NS Mayport and her Cold War Mediterranean deployment record generated sustained underway periods:

  • Engineering ratings aboard Kennedy during Mediterranean deployments stood continuous watch rotations in the fire rooms and engine rooms during sustained high-power steaming throughout each deployment — with extended underway Mediterranean operating periods multiplying total watch-standing hours in asbestos-insulated engineering spaces per career aboard Kennedy

VA Claims for USS Kennedy 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 USS John F. Kennedy during her Cold War service 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 John F. Kennedy

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.