If you are a veteran who served in Texas, or who was stationed at a Texas base or shipyard, you may have been exposed to asbestos during your service. Texas has the largest veteran population of any U.S. state and hosts major Army, Air Force, and Navy installations. Asbestos was used in military buildings, ships, vehicles, and equipment through the 1970s, so service members at older Texas facilities may have encountered asbestos-containing materials during that era. Veterans who served in Texas, and family members who lived on Texas 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 Texas decades ago may receive a diagnosis only now. This page explains where Texas veterans were exposed and the compensation options available. There is no cost to speak with us about your service history.
Texas military installations with asbestos
Texas’s military-asbestos profile is led by the Army and Air Force at its large land installations, with a significant Navy aviation and WWII Gulf Coast shipbuilding presence. 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 Bliss | Army | Active | Large El Paso post established 1848; long-standing structures predate asbestos phase-outs. |
| Fort Hood (Fort Cavazos) | Army | Active | Major armor post near Killeen, established 1942. |
| Joint Base San Antonio | Joint | Active | Consolidates Fort Sam Houston, Lackland, and Randolph; Fort Sam Houston dates to the 19th century. |
| Sheppard Air Force Base | Air Force | Active | Training base at Wichita Falls, opened 1941. |
| Naval Air Station Corpus Christi | Navy | Active | Naval aviation training base dedicated 1941; aircraft and facilities of the period used asbestos materials. |
| Naval Air Station Kingsville | Navy | Active | Jet pilot training base in South Texas. |
| Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth | Joint | Active | Reserve installation (former Carswell AFB) hosting Navy, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard units. |
Texas naval shipyards
Shipyards carried some of the heaviest asbestos exposure of any setting. Texas shipyards documented as using asbestos materials include:
| Shipyard | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Naval Station Orange (Consolidated Steel shipyard), Orange | Closed | Gulf Coast Navy shipyard active 1940-1975; built destroyers and destroyer escorts in WWII. Shipyard work of the era heavily involved asbestos insulation. |
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 Texas veterans were exposed
Texas 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 Texas. 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.
Texas factors that can affect a claim
Texas has its own rules and resources that can matter for a veteran’s claim. A few points Texas veterans often ask about:
- Filing deadlines. Texas 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 Texas. The VA operates medical centers across Texas. A diagnosis and treatment record supports both VA and trust claims.
- State residence is not required. Many veterans were stationed in Texas but live elsewhere now. A claim is based on service history and diagnosis, not current residence.
Texas has the largest veteran population of any U.S. state (about 1.4 million veterans), and the Texas Veterans Commission assists with VA disability claims, including those filed under the PACT Act. Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas veterans
A Texas 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 Texas bases had asbestos?
Installations across Texas, including Fort Bliss, 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 Texas 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. Texas does set filing deadlines once a diagnosis is made, so it helps to confirm timing early.
Do I have to live in Texas to file based on Texas 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 Texas?
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_Corpus_Christi
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Naval_Station_Orange
- https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/asbestos/