If you are a veteran who served in Georgia, or who was stationed at a Georgia base or shipyard, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your service. Georgia hosts large, long-operating Army, Air Force, and Navy bases as well as two World War II shipyards, settings where older buildings, vehicles, aircraft, and ships historically contained asbestos materials. Service members at these installations during the asbestos era may have encountered asbestos-containing materials. Veterans who served in Georgia, and family members who lived on Georgia 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 Georgia decades ago may receive a diagnosis only now. This page explains where Georgia veterans were exposed and the compensation options available. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
Georgia military installations with asbestos
Georgia’s military footprint spans all branches, led by the Army (Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, Fort Eisenhower) and Air Force (Robins, Moody), with the Navy’s submarine base at Kings Bay. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Stewart | Army | Active | Largest Army installation east of the Mississippi; established 1940. |
| Hunter Army Airfield | Joint | Active | Savannah airfield; also hosts Coast Guard Air Station Savannah. |
| Fort Benning | Army | Active | Infantry training post near Columbus, established 1918. |
| Fort Eisenhower | Army | Active | Signal and cyber post near Augusta; formerly Fort Gordon. |
| Robins Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Major logistics and depot complex near Warner Robins. |
| Moody Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Installation near Valdosta opened in 1941. |
| Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay | Navy | Active | Atlantic homeport for Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines; near St. Marys. |
Georgia naval shipyards
Shipyards carried some of the heaviest asbestos exposure of any setting. Georgia shipyards documented as using asbestos materials include:
| Shipyard | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation (Savannah) | Closed | WWII Liberty ship yard; built 88 Liberty ships before closing in 1945. |
| J.A. Jones Shipyard (Brunswick) | Closed | WWII Maritime Commission cargo-ship yard; built 99 ships 1941-1945. |
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 Georgia veterans were exposed
Georgia 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 Georgia. 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.
Georgia factors that can affect a claim
Georgia has its own rules and resources that can matter for a veteran’s claim. A few points Georgia veterans often ask about:
- Filing deadlines. Georgia 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 Georgia. The VA operates medical centers across Georgia. A diagnosis and treatment record supports both VA and trust claims.
- State residence is not required. Many veterans were stationed in Georgia but live elsewhere now. A claim is based on service history and diagnosis, not current residence.
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet homeport for Ohio-class ballistic-missile (Trident) submarines. Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia veterans
A Georgia 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.
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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 Georgia bases had asbestos?
Installations across Georgia, including Fort Stewart, 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 Georgia 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. Georgia does set filing deadlines once a diagnosis is made, so it helps to confirm timing early.
Do I have to live in Georgia to file based on Georgia 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 Georgia?
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/Fort_Stewart
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Submarine_Base_Kings_Bay
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/