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Primarily used for its durability and resistance to heat, asbestos has a lot of history within the military. From aircraft to shipbuilding down to the protective gear used on a daily basis, asbestos used to be pretty hard to avoid.
Due to its efficacy, the military continued to integrate it until the backlash that came around in the 20th century. Once the health risks started to become much more apparent, the sentiment toward asbestos started to shift.
Respiratory illness is a common association here, with mesothelioma being a lead example of the medical complications that can stem from asbestos exposure. This article highlights the history of asbestos use in the military and the effects on its personnel.
Early Use of Asbestos in the Military
Once it was widely understood how asbestos could be applied, it didn’t take long before it was found in every job of the military. From fire resistance to insulation and many other applications, asbestos was also a highly affordable material.
Whereas the Navy used it for things like ship insulation, the Air Force used it for aircraft brakes. Overall, asbestos has been used in many aspects of military equipment and infrastructure for years. This means you can assume a lot of it still exists today, even with years of efforts to eliminate it. For many years, asbestos exposure was common for military members, which has led to quite a few medical issues down the road.
Health Risks and Discovery
Part of the big issue with asbestos is that the related health issues take time to develop. In most circumstances, it would take years of asbestos exposure before you start to notice any adverse effects on your health. Unfortunately, for some people, that’s far too late.
Military personnel working in shipyards, aircraft maintenance, and construction had a lot of exposure to the military. They weren’t alone, as it was hard to escape for any military member. Asbestos was in the barracks, in the equipment they worked with, and in many other areas of their time in service.
Asbestos Removal and Regulation
Once the military had a grasp of the true health risks behind asbestos, removal and regulation became a strong focus point. While asbestos can’t be entirely eliminated due to its original widespread use, it has been heavily reduced.
Abatement teams were used to locate and remove the asbestos, which, you can imagine, proved to be a pretty drawn-out process. Controlled handling was also an important part of the process. Nowadays, the military works alongside new policies with organizations like OSHA and the EPA to maintain a safer working environment.
Endnote
Asbestos has affected millions of people over the years, and this includes plenty of military personnel. This also led to discussions around mesothelioma VA benefits, something that many veterans have sought out. Considering asbestos isn’t easy to eliminate entirely, the conversation about eliminating the material still stands.
It’s unfortunate that it took so long to determine the health risks associated with asbestos, but it isn’t as common as it once was. Asbestos is a material that has affected generations of people, and with enough time, the world can be rid of it for good.
