USS Ranger (CV-61) was a Kitty Hawk-class conventional aircraft carrier commissioned in August 1957 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. Homeported throughout most of her career at Naval Air Station Alameda, California, Ranger served seven Vietnam combat deployments between 1964 and 1973 — one of the highest Vietnam deployment totals in the carrier fleet — and continued in active service through the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm, 1991) before being decommissioned in July 1993. Built to the construction standards of the late 1950s, Ranger incorporated asbestos insulation throughout her steam plant, engineering systems, and interior spaces.

Steam Plant and Engineering Asbestos

Ranger’s Kitty Hawk-class steam propulsion system used asbestos insulation extensively:

  • Boiler plant — Ranger’s eight high-pressure boilers used asbestos-containing boiler lagging on exterior surfaces, asbestos combustion chamber refractory brick, and asbestos sealing materials at boiler access points. BT ratings maintaining Ranger’s boiler plant in the firerooms worked in sustained proximity to asbestos-containing lagging throughout their engineering assignments
  • Main steam piping — the main steam piping distribution from Ranger’s firerooms to the enginerooms and auxiliary steam loads used asbestos pipe covering throughout the high-temperature steam piping in the engineering spaces. The pipe covering — asbestos magnesia block under canvas jacketing — was the primary engineering space asbestos source for the MM and BT ratings on engineering watch and maintenance duty
  • Steam catapult systems — Ranger’s steam catapult launch systems for aircraft operations used high-pressure steam from the ship’s main steam plant, with asbestos-insulated steam piping and components in the catapult system serving the flight deck launch cycle

Extended Vietnam Operational Tempo

Ranger’s seven Vietnam combat cruises created sustained crew asbestos exposure:

  • Seven combat deployments over the Vietnam era meant that crew members serving multiple Ranger tours accumulated compounded asbestos exposure from the ship’s steam plant insulation over extended periods. The high operational tempo of Vietnam combat deployments kept engineering ratings in the firerooms and enginerooms under sustained high-temperature operating conditions that degraded the pipe covering insulation and increased fiber release

Interior Construction Asbestos

Ranger’s 1957 construction incorporated asbestos in interior materials:

  • Crew accommodation — crew berthing for Ranger’s complement of over 4,600 personnel used asbestos-containing deck tile and overhead insulation in the late-1950s construction
  • Aviation maintenance spaces — hangar deck working spaces and aviation maintenance areas used asbestos-containing deck materials and overhead construction consistent with the 1957 construction standards

VA Claims for USS Ranger 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 aboard USS Ranger 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 Ranger

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.