USS Nimitz (CVN-68) — Equipment Reference & Asbestos Exposure Record
Equipment reference and asbestos exposure record for USS Nimitz (CVN-68). 2 machinery and manufacturer entries from the public Wikipedia article citing...
By Rights Watch Media Group LLC•June 6, 2026•2 min read
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USS Nimitz (CVN-68)Source: Wikimedia Commons — public domain (U.S. Navy photograph)
Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Nimitz (CVN-68), lead ship of the Nimitz-class carriers, was laid down in 1968, launched in 1972, and commissioned on 3 May 1975 as a nuclear-powered multi-mission aircraft carrier. Homeported successively at Norfolk, Bremerton, San Diego, Everett, and Kitsap, Nimitz conducted numerous deployments throughout the Cold War and beyond, participating in major operations including Desert Storm, Southern Watch, and Taiwan Strait patrols. As of 2026, she remains the oldest serving aircraft carrier in the world and continues active service under an extended mandate through March 2027.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Virginia
Laid down
1968-06-22
Launched
1972-05-13
Commissioned
1975-05-03
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Cold War Mediterranean deployments 1976-1987
Cold War Western Pacific and Indian Ocean 1988-1989
Persian Gulf operations 1991-1993
Western Pacific and Taiwan Strait patrol 1995-1996
Combat Actions
Gulf of Sidra incident· 1981-08-19 carrier support for F-14 engagement
Operation Earnest Will· 1988-10 tanker protection in Arabian Sea
Operation Desert Storm· 1991-02 carrier strike group deployment
Operation Southern Watch· 1993-02 Persian Gulf patrol and enforcement
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia — home port 1975-1987
Naval Station Bremerton, Washington — home port 1987-2012
Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego County, California — home port 2001
Naval Station Everett, Washington — home port 2012-2015
Naval Base Kitsap, Washington — home port 2015-present
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Newport News Shipbuilding· 2001 refueling and complex overhaul
Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.
Notable Incidents
26 May 1981 — EA-6B Prowler crash on flight deck, 14 crewmen killed, 45 injured, 19 aircraft destroyed or damaged
30 November 1988 — 20 mm cannon accidental discharge during maintenance, fire spread to six aircraft, two sailors killed
Read the video transcript
Did you serve aboard the USS Nimitz? This aircraft carrier carried asbestos in nearly every compartment. Here is where it was, and who is responsible. The USS Nimitz, hull number CVN-68, was an aircraft carrier, built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. and commissioned in 1975. She served through Cold War Mediterranean deployments, Cold War Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf operations. Public naval references list this equipment aboard the USS Nimitz, CVN-68 — insulated and sealed with asbestos. Exposure was worst in the engineering spaces, where the snipes worked — but asbestos lined the whole ship, so all hands were exposed. The companies that made the asbestos equipment aboard — not the Navy — are who asbestos claims are brought against. According to asbestos litigation records, the equipment aboard the USS Nimitz from makers such as General Electric allegedly contained asbestos. If you served aboard the USS Nimitz and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the companies that made the asbestos products used aboard your ship. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a documented U.S. Navy nuclear aircraft carrier. The equipment reference below was extracted from the publicly-available Wikipedia article on this vessel, which cites the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) — the U.S. Navy’s official ship-history publication maintained by the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Equipment Reference
Equipment Manifest — USS Nimitz (CVN-68). 9 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68, 70_Potable Water Pumps_Aurora.pdf
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68-70_Motor-Driven List Control Pumps (2)_Buffalo.pdf
70 Angle Relief Valves graphited asbestos
Kunkle Valve
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68, 70_Angle Relief Valves, graphited asbestos_Kunkle.pdf
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68-70_Distiller Feedwater Heater Drain Pumps (4)_Buffalo.pdf
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68-70_Aux Boiler JP5 Service Pumps, Reliance motor_DeLaval.pdf
70 Angle Relief Reactor Valves Palmetto Asbestos
Kunkle Valve
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68, 70_Angle Relief Reactor Valves, Palmetto Asbestos_Kunkle.pdf
2) Electronics Cooling Pumps for AN SPS48 with C H controllers (947 154 3010
Hull-specific record in BAREBO_2026: USS Nimitz CVN 68 Records from Bradley Uploaded 07-31-25/Nimitz class for USS Nimitz/CVAN68-70_(2) Electronics Cooling Pumps for AN-SPS48, with C-H controllers (947-154-3010)_Buffalo.pdf
Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Nimitz (CVN-68). These are secondary-source records — not primary BUSHIPS design documents. For litigation purposes, this data is a starting point; a ship-specific BUSHIPS Material Inspection Report or commissioning book would provide gold-standard verification.
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.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Nimitz
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:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
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.
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.
Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service
Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.
All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.
Nimitz CVN-68 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Nimitz CVN-68 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Nimitz CVN-68 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.
Which shipboard components on Nimitz CVN-68 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Nimitz CVN-68's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.
What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Nimitz CVN-68?
Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.
What equipment manufacturers are documented on Nimitz CVN-68?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Nimitz CVN-68 include: Aurora Pump, Buffalo Pumps, DeLaval, General Electric, Kunkle Valve, Westinghouse. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Nimitz CVN-68 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Potentially. VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims individually. Nimitz CVN-68 veterans generally need medical records showing the current disease, service records supporting in-service asbestos exposure, and a doctor's statement connecting the two. Veterans may file at VA.gov, call 1-800-827-1000, or seek free help from an accredited Veterans Service Organization such as DAV, VFW, or the American Legion.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.
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