USS Spruance (DD-963), commissioned September 20, 1975 at Ingalls Shipbuilding (Pascagoula, Mississippi), was the lead ship of the 31-vessel Spruance class destroyer program — the first major Navy destroyer class powered by gas turbines rather than steam. The Spruance class used four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines in a COGAG (Combined Gas And Gas) arrangement driving two shafts. USS Spruance was homeported at NS Norfolk, Virginia, and served until decommissioning in 2005.

Gas Turbine Exhaust System and Asbestos

As the lead Spruance class ship commissioned in 1975, USS Spruance’s LM2500 installation used early-production exhaust system specifications:

  • LM2500 exhaust uptake insulation — the hot exhaust ducting routing combustion gases from the LM2500 gas turbines through the ship’s uptake system to the exhaust stacks used asbestos-containing thermal insulation on the duct surfaces in the 1975 construction of the lead Spruance class ship. Gas Turbine Systems Technicians (GSM) performing exhaust system maintenance on USS Spruance worked in proximity to asbestos-insulated exhaust ducting in the confined uptake spaces of the destroyer
  • Engine module hot section insulation — the LM2500 engine module hot section with its high-temperature turbine inlet and exhaust transition components used thermal insulation materials in the early engine module designs that included asbestos-containing materials before the engine module specifications completed the asbestos phase-down

Auxiliary Boiler System

USS Spruance and early Spruance class destroyers were equipped with an auxiliary boiler for hotel steam and emergency power:

  • Auxiliary boiler — the auxiliary boiler in USS Spruance used asbestos-containing insulation in boiler casing and steam system construction consistent with the transitional period when auxiliary boiler specifications still included asbestos. Boiler Technicians (BT) maintaining the auxiliary boiler on USS Spruance performed standard boiler maintenance involving asbestos boiler insulation throughout the early service years
  • Hotel steam distribution — the auxiliary steam distribution serving laundry, galley, and space heating loads on USS Spruance used asbestos-insulated steam piping in the 1975 construction

VA Claims for USS Spruance Veterans

VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) covers asbestos exposure from gas turbine and auxiliary boiler maintenance in Navy service. Gas Turbine Systems Technicians and other engineering ratings who served aboard USS Spruance (DD-963) during the early service period 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 Spruance

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.