Numerous toxins can be found on military bases. PFOS, PFOA, and several other PFAS found in AFFF, and asbestos are a few examples. During their service, members of the U.S. Marine Corps faced significant exposure to different types of contaminants, completely unaware of the hazards they were exposed to, and without any proper equipment to protect themselves. It may take years for the effects of these hazards to manifest, and when they do, a veteran’s health and overall well-being can suffer to a great extent.
If you are the spouse, parent, or child of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who died from a service-related cancer, you may be eligible to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
Marine Corps firefighters and fire protection personnel historically trained with AFFF to combat aircraft and fuel-related fires at air stations and training facilities. It is required that military firefighters have their blood tested for PFAS chemicals, since these chemicals do not break down over time and build up in the human body, a process that has been linked to the development of several types of cancer.
Personnel who may have faced AFFF exposure during their Marine Corps service include:
- Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting personnel
- fire protection specialists
- fire instructors and firefighter trainees
- civilian firefighters assigned to Marine Corps air stations
- personnel who maintained firefighting equipment and foam systems
AFFF exposure has been linked to an increased risk of:
If you served as a firefighter or in a fire protection role in the Marine Corps and later developed one of these cancers, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.
The U.S. Marine Corps delivers combined-arms support wherever needed, generally using the mobility provided by the Navy. Because of this, Marines faced the same asbestos hazards as Navy servicemen and women, since asbestos-rich ships and equipment were widespread throughout much of the 20th century. Marines embarked aboard Navy vessels encountered asbestos in engine rooms, sleeping quarters, ventilation systems, and mess halls, while those stationed on land faced exposure through base construction and equipment.
Marine Corps equipment known to contain asbestos
- tanks
- amphibious assault vehicles
- trucks and jeeps
- aircraft support vehicles
- brake linings, clutches, and gaskets used across Marine Corps vehicles until the 1980s
Marine Corps jobs with elevated asbestos exposure risk
- gunner's mate
- electrician
- boiler tchnician/watertender
- instrumentman
- steelworker
- machinery repairman
- seaman
Marine Corps bases with a history of asbestos exposure
- Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California
- Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley Butler, Okinawa, Japan
- Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia
- Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Albany, Georgia
- Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Barstow, California
- Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Port Royal, South Carolina
- Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, San Diego, California
- Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California
Shipyards and vessels tied to Marine Corps asbestos exposure
Because Marines historically deployed aboard Navy ships and passed through Navy shipyards during transport and training, exposure often occurred at facilities such as Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, alongside amphibious assault ships, troop transports, and aircraft carriers that carried Marine aviation and ground units.
Long-term exposure to asbestos can lead to lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestos products Marine Corps veterans commonly encountered aboard ship and on base include boilers, pipe insulation, pumps, valves, brakes, electrical cables, gaskets, clutches, cement, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, heating ducts, roof coating, asphalt, shingles, paint, and wallboard. The U.S. Armed Forces began restricting and heavily regulating asbestos use in the 1970s, but thousands of vehicles, barracks, and products built before that time remain in use and still contain this toxic mineral today.