If you are a veteran who served in Illinois, or who was stationed at a Illinois base or shipyard, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your service. Illinois has hosted large, long-operating military installations since the early 1900s, including the Navy’s principal recruit-training center at Great Lakes and major Air Force training and Army manufacturing posts. Many were built or expanded during the decades when asbestos was a standard building and insulation material. Veterans who served in Illinois, and family members who lived on Illinois 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 Illinois decades ago may receive a diagnosis only now. This page explains where Illinois veterans were exposed and the compensation options available. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
Illinois military installations with asbestos
The Navy dominates Illinois’s military-asbestos profile through Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy’s only boot camp and the largest installation in the state, with significant Air Force and Army training and manufacturing posts. 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 Station Great Lakes | Navy | Active | Largest installation in Illinois and the Navy’s only boot camp; older barracks, training-ship boiler rooms, and shore mechanical systems used asbestos materials. |
| Scott Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Training and air-mobility base near St. Louis since 1917; much construction occurred during the era of routine asbestos use. |
| Rock Island Arsenal | Army | Active | Large Army weapons-manufacturing arsenal and foundry; ordnance production and older industrial buildings involved asbestos-containing materials. |
| Chanute Air Force Base | Air Force | Closed | Major Air Force technical-training base at Rantoul from 1917 until its 1993 closure. |
| Fort Sheridan | Army | Closed | Army post on Lake Michigan (1887-1993, closed via BRAC); historic masonry buildings and aging infrastructure. |
| Joliet Army Ammunition Plant | Army | Closed | WWII-through-Vietnam-era Army munitions plant near Elwood; large industrial buildings of that period commonly contained asbestos. |
Veteran asbestos exposure in Illinois 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 Illinois veterans were exposed
Illinois 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 Illinois. 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.
Illinois factors that can affect a claim
Illinois has its own rules and resources that can matter for a veteran’s claim. A few points Illinois veterans often ask about:
- Filing deadlines. Illinois 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 Illinois. The VA operates medical centers across Illinois. A diagnosis and treatment record supports both VA and trust claims.
- State residence is not required. Many veterans were stationed in Illinois but live elsewhere now. A claim is based on service history and diagnosis, not current residence.
Naval Station Great Lakes is the Navy’s only recruit-training command, processing roughly 40,000 recruits a year, so a large share of all Navy sailors have passed through facilities at this single Illinois base. Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois veterans
A Illinois 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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Frequently asked questions
Which Illinois bases had asbestos?
Installations across Illinois, including Naval Station Great Lakes, 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 Illinois 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. Illinois does set filing deadlines once a diagnosis is made, so it helps to confirm timing early.
Do I have to live in Illinois to file based on Illinois 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 Illinois?
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_Station_Great_Lakes
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island_Arsenal
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/