USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carrier, was commissioned at Newport News Shipbuilding in July 2003 and has served as the US Navy’s forward-deployed carrier homeported at Yokosuka, Japan, conducting carrier strike group operations across the Western Pacific and responding to humanitarian crises throughout the region. Ronald Reagan’s two A4W nuclear reactors drove steam turbines powering four propeller shafts providing propulsion and ship’s service power through her service. Commissioned in 2003, Ronald Reagan incorporated steam system insulation and hull construction materials consistent with the Nimitz class early 2000s construction specifications.

USS Ronald Reagan Nuclear Propulsion Plant Asbestos

Ronald Reagan’s nuclear steam propulsion plant incorporated insulation in critical systems:

  • Nuclear steam plant insulation — Ronald Reagan’s A4W secondary steam system, steam generators, and associated high-pressure steam piping throughout her engineering spaces incorporated thermal insulation materials consistent with early 2000s naval nuclear construction specifications, which according to publicly filed litigation records may have included asbestos-containing insulation materials in certain systems
  • Propulsion turbine insulation — Ronald Reagan’s main propulsion turbines and reduction gear systems incorporated insulation materials consistent with the Nimitz class construction specifications
  • Aviation support systems — Ronald Reagan’s catapult steam systems, arresting gear, and aviation fuel and weapons systems incorporated insulation and construction materials consistent with early 2000s carrier construction specifications
  • Hull construction materials — Ronald Reagan’s crew berthing, hangar bay, flight deck support structures, and working spaces were constructed using the hull construction materials of the Nimitz class building program

VA Claims for USS Ronald Reagan Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from Navy nuclear carrier service. Nuclear-trained ratings, Aviation ratings, Engineering ratings, and crew members who served aboard USS Ronald Reagan 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 Ronald Reagan

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.