If you are a veteran who served in Florida, or who was stationed at a Florida base or shipyard, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your service. Veterans who served at Florida installations between roughly the 1930s and the 1980s may have encountered asbestos in older barracks, hangars, ship berthing areas, steam and piping systems, and aircraft components, consistent with construction-era materials documented across U.S. military facilities. Veterans who served in Florida, and family members who lived on Florida installations, can still be affected by that exposure today.
Asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis often take 10 to 50 years to appear. A veteran who served in Florida decades ago may receive a diagnosis only now. This page explains where Florida veterans were exposed and the compensation options available. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
Florida military installations with asbestos
Florida is dominated by U.S. Navy aviation and surface-fleet installations alongside major Air Force test and refueling bases, so Navy and Air Force service histories are most relevant. The installations below appear in public records as having used asbestos-containing materials during the asbestos era. A dedicated page for each, with its history and the trust funds most relevant to it, is published as the directory expands.
| Installation | Branch | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Air Station Pensacola | Navy | Active | Established 1913-1914; primary naval aviation training base. |
| Naval Air Station Jacksonville | Navy | Active | Commissioned 1940; includes Fleet Readiness Center Southeast aircraft depot work. |
| Naval Station Mayport | Navy | Active | Commissioned 1942 near Jacksonville; major surface-fleet homeport with ship berthing and an airfield. |
| Naval Air Station Whiting Field | Navy | Active | Commissioned 1943 near Milton; one of the Navy’s primary pilot training bases. |
| Eglin Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Established 1935; Air Force armament test and evaluation center. |
| MacDill Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Established 1939 near Tampa; air-refueling base. |
| Tyndall Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Opened 1941 near Panama City; fighter base. |
| Naval Air Station Cecil Field | Navy | Closed | Master jet base near Jacksonville from the 1940s; closed under BRAC, decommissioned 1999. |
Veteran asbestos exposure in Florida is concentrated at the installations above and aboard ships and aircraft maintained there, rather than at a federal naval shipyard. Shipyards are covered in the shipyards directory.
Inclusion reflects documented use of asbestos materials at an installation. It does not establish that any individual was exposed. Exposure depends on a veteran’s job, location, and years of service.
Where Florida veterans were exposed
Florida veterans encountered asbestos in many of the same places as veterans elsewhere. Common exposure sources included:
- Boiler rooms and engine rooms aboard ships and at steam and heating plants
- Pipe insulation, gaskets, and valve packing on steam systems
- Shipyard and depot repair and overhaul work
- Aircraft maintenance at naval and air stations
- Building materials such as floor tile, fireproofing, and cement panels in older structures
- Vehicle brakes, clutches, and gaskets in motor pools
For more on shipboard exposure, see asbestos on Navy ships. For exposure across the services, see the military bases directory and Navy veteran asbestos exposure.
Who was exposed
Veterans in several roles faced higher asbestos exposure in Florida. These include machinist’s mates, boiler technicians, hull maintenance technicians, and enginemen who worked in ship engineering spaces; shipyard and depot workers; pipefitters and steamfitters; aircraft maintenance technicians; and construction and utility personnel who worked on base buildings. Family members who lived in base housing built during the asbestos era could also have had lower-level contact with aging materials.
Florida factors that can affect a claim
Florida has its own rules and resources that can matter for a veteran’s claim. A few points Florida veterans often ask about:
- Filing deadlines. Florida sets time limits for filing personal injury and wrongful death claims related to asbestos, and the timing can differ for a living claimant and for a family filing after a death. Because the rules are specific, it is worth confirming your situation early.
- VA medical care in Florida. The VA operates medical centers across Florida. A diagnosis and treatment record supports both VA and trust claims.
- State residence is not required. Many veterans were stationed in Florida but live elsewhere now. A claim is based on service history and diagnosis, not current residence.
Florida has no federally designated U.S. Naval Shipyard; Navy vessels homeported at Mayport are maintained by private contractors rather than a federal shipyard, so Florida exposure is concentrated in air stations and surface-fleet facilities. Florida filing rules are summarized here for general information and are confirmed for your specific situation during a case review.
Health conditions linked to asbestos exposure
Inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen; lung cancer; asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs; and pleural plaques or thickening. These conditions commonly appear 10 to 50 years after first exposure, which is why veterans are still being diagnosed today.
Trust funds covering Florida veteran exposure
Many companies that supplied asbestos products to military installations and shipyards later filed for bankruptcy and set up trust funds. These trusts are separate from the VA, and a veteran can often pursue both a VA claim and one or more trust claims. The right trusts depend on which manufacturers’ products a veteran was around.
Manufacturers with strong ties to military and shipyard exposure include Babcock & Wilcox and Combustion Engineering for boilers, Owens Corning Fibreboard for Kaylo pipe and block insulation, Pittsburgh Corning for Unibestos pipe insulation, and Johns-Manville for cement panels, wallboard, and sprayed fireproofing used in base buildings.
Each trust publishes scheduled values that change over time, along with the percentage it currently pays. We confirm current figures against each trust’s published documents before they appear in your case review. For the full list, see the asbestos trust funds directory.
Compensation options for Florida veterans
A Florida veteran diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness may have more than one option. VA disability compensation is available when exposure is linked to qualifying service, and active cancers such as mesothelioma usually receive a high disability rating. A surviving spouse or dependent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Asbestos trust claims can often proceed alongside a VA claim. See VA benefits for mesothelioma, how to file a VA claim, asbestos trust funds for veterans, and filing a VA claim and a trust claim together.
Get help with your claim
We help veterans and their families understand their compensation options. There is no cost to speak with us about your case.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Florida bases had asbestos?
Installations across Florida, including Naval Air Station Pensacola, are documented as having used asbestos-containing materials during the asbestos era. The list above is being expanded with a dedicated page for each.
I served in Florida decades ago. Can I still file a claim?
Yes. Asbestos diseases commonly appear 10 to 50 years after exposure, so a diagnosis long after service is common. Florida does set filing deadlines once a diagnosis is made, so it helps to confirm timing early.
Do I have to live in Florida to file based on Florida service?
No. A claim is based on your service history and diagnosis, not your current state of residence.
Can I receive VA benefits and an asbestos trust payment?
In many cases, yes. Trust funds are paid by the manufacturers’ trusts, not the VA, so the two are usually separate paths. A case review can confirm which options apply.
What if my family member died from mesothelioma after serving in Florida?
A surviving spouse or dependent may qualify for DIC and may be able to file trust claims. There is no cost to speak with us about whether these options apply.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Pensacola
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Station_Mayport
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/