🍳 Cooks & Galley Personnel

Oven & Deck Insulation in Galleys — Hidden Asbestos Exposure in Military Kitchens

While Navy engineers and ship mechanics battled heat and machinery, another crew faced danger in a different form — inside the ship’s galley.
Cooks, bakers, and food service attendants worked surrounded by heat, metal, and machinery — all heavily insulated with asbestos.
From oven linings to deck mats and bulkhead panels, asbestos was everywhere food was prepared.
Over time, repeated exposure to this “invisible dust” led to devastating diagnoses of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer among veterans who served proudly in their ship’s kitchens.

📞 If you served as a Navy cook or galley worker before 1990, call 800.291.0963 for free veteran asbestos exposure and claim guidance.

🧭 Step 1 – Why Asbestos Was Used in Ship Galleys

The Navy relied on asbestos in every compartment where heat or fire posed a risk — and ship galleys were among the hottest, most confined spaces aboard.

Why asbestos was used in galleys:

• 🔥 Provided heat resistance for ovens, grills, and fryers.

• ⚙️ Lined bulkheads, decks, and ventilation ducts to prevent fires.

• 🧱 Used in oven insulation, food warmers, and steam kettles.

• 💨 Reduced heat transfer to surrounding compartments.

Goal: Understand that cooks and food handlers worked daily within heavily insulated areas lined with asbestos for safety — not realizing the long-term health risk.

⚙️ Step 2 – Common Asbestos-Containing Products in Galleys

Nearly every major appliance or surface in Navy galleys contained asbestos-based materials, often hidden inside metal casings or floor panels.

Asbestos products commonly found in ship kitchens:

• 🧾 Oven and stove insulation wrapped around heating elements.

• ⚙️ Steam line insulation for kettles, dishwashers, and food warmers.

• 💨 Deck mats and flooring tiles containing asbestos backing.

• 🧱 Wall and ceiling insulation to prevent heat transfer.

• 🧰 Oven mitts, gloves, and aprons woven from asbestos fabric.

• 🪖 Ventilation duct seals and gaskets made from asbestos materials.

Goal: Realize that galley personnel were surrounded by asbestos — often released into the air whenever appliances were repaired, cleaned, or replaced.

🪖 Step 3 – Military Roles with the Highest Asbestos Exposure

Thousands of service members served in food service capacities across every branch of the military.

High-risk roles included:

• ⚓ Navy Cooks, Mess Management Specialists, and Commissarymen: Operated ovens, steam lines, and galley equipment on asbestos-lined ships.

• 🪖 Marine Corps Field Cooks: Used asbestos-insulated field stoves and heating units.

• 💨 Army Food Service Technicians: Worked in mobile kitchens with asbestos-lined burners.

• 🧱 Air Force Food Handlers: Served on bases with asbestos-containing flooring and ducts.

• 🏭 Civilian Shipyard and Base Food Service Workers: Cleaned or maintained galley spaces during overhauls.

Goal: Identify your rating or MOS to confirm exposure risk and link your service to asbestos contact.

🧰 Step 4 – How Asbestos Exposure Occurred in Galleys

Galley personnel weren’t just preparing food — they were constantly cleaning, repairing, and maintaining their workspace.
Each of these tasks stirred up asbestos dust hidden in insulation, mats, and panels.

Common daily exposure activities:

• 🔧 Scraping or cleaning behind ovens and steam tables.

• 🧱 Removing asbestos deck mats for scrubbing or replacement.

• ⚙️ Repairing galley machinery insulated with asbestos.

• 💨 Working near engine-room bulkheads or ducts lined with asbestos.

• 🧾 Using asbestos gloves or aprons to handle hot trays or pans.

Goal: Recognize that exposure often occurred indirectly through maintenance and cleaning — not just equipment repair.

⚓ Step 5 – Where Exposure Happened

Because asbestos was standard construction material, cooks and galley personnel faced exposure on nearly every ship, base, and field kitchen.

Primary exposure locations:

• 🚢 Navy ships: Destroyers, aircraft carriers, cruisers, and submarines.

• 🏗️ Base kitchens and dining facilities: Contained asbestos insulation and floor tiles.

• 💨 Field kitchens: Used asbestos-laden stoves and heaters.

• 🧱 Shipyards: During vessel overhauls or galley remodeling.

• 🛠️ Barracks and mess halls: With asbestos-lined ventilation and boilers.

Goal: Identify every galley or kitchen where you served to strengthen VA and civil compensation claims.

💬 Step 6 – Health Risks for Cooks and Galley Personnel

When asbestos fibers become airborne, they can be inhaled or swallowed — embedding themselves in the lungs or abdomen.
Diseases may not appear for decades, long after service has ended.

Diseases caused by asbestos exposure:

• 🫁 Mesothelioma: Cancer of the lung or abdominal lining.

• 💨 Asbestosis: Scarring and stiffening of lung tissue.

• 🩺 Lung Cancer: Risk significantly increased for smokers.

• 🧠 Pleural Plaques and Effusions: Signs of asbestos-related injury.

Goal: Encourage veterans to seek early medical screening if they worked in enclosed galley spaces.

🧾 Step 7 – VA Recognition of Galley and Kitchen Exposure

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes cooks, bakers, and galley personnel as medium-to-high asbestos exposure occupations, particularly aboard ships and submarines.

VA documentation includes:

• ⚖️ M21-1 Adjudication Manual, Part IV, Subpart ii, Chapter 2, Section C.

• 🧾 Job titles “Cook,” “Mess Management Specialist,” and “Commissaryman” listed as potential exposure roles.

• 💬 VA medical guidance linking asbestos exposure to confined shipboard workspaces.

• 🏛️ Recognition of long latency periods (10–45 years) for asbestos-related diseases.

Goal: Use VA resources to prove service-related asbestos exposure in claim filings.

💼 Step 8 – Evidence Needed for a VA Claim

A successful asbestos-related claim requires evidence of both medical diagnosis and service-related exposure.

Key documents to gather:

• 🪖 DD-214 and service records showing galley duties.

• ⚙️ Ship or base assignment records confirming exposure environments.

• 🩺 Doctor’s diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer.

• 💬 Shipmate or coworker statements verifying asbestos conditions.

• 🧾 Medical nexus letter connecting illness to service duties.

Goal: Compile thorough, documented proof linking your diagnosis to asbestos exposure in galleys or kitchens.

⚖️ Step 9 – Civil Legal Options for Cooks and Food Service Veterans

Veterans cannot sue the U.S. military, but they can pursue compensation from private manufacturers that made asbestos galley equipment and materials.

Common asbestos product manufacturers:

• 🧱 Johns-Manville (insulation and cement for ovens and ducts).

• 💨 Owens-Corning and Unarco (deck mats and flooring).

• ⚙️ Armstrong and Eagle-Picher (asbestos wall and ceiling insulation).

• 🧰 Raybestos-Manhattan (heat-resistant gloves and oven linings).

• 🪖 Foster Wheeler and Garlock (steam system insulation and gaskets).

Goal: File claims with asbestos trust funds and lawsuits against negligent companies that supplied the military.

🤝 Step 10 – How Attorneys and VSOs Help Galley Personnel

Managing asbestos exposure claims requires coordination between Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) and asbestos attorneys who specialize in both VA and civil processes.

A qualified team can:

• 🧾 Access ship blueprints confirming asbestos materials used in galleys.

• ⚙️ Obtain witness statements from fellow cooks or repair personnel.

• 💬 Secure expert medical opinions supporting your diagnosis.

• 🏛️ File trust-fund and civil claims while preserving VA benefits.

Goal: Let experienced professionals navigate your claims while you focus on your health and recovery.

🌈 Summary

Cooks and galley personnel served faithfully, keeping crews fed and missions running — yet the kitchens they worked in were filled with asbestos insulation, mats, and machinery.
Each meal prepared meant hours spent inside compartments lined with deadly fibers.
Decades later, these veterans are still paying the price for materials they never knew were dangerous.
Both the VA and civil courts now recognize galley-related asbestos exposure as a serious occupational hazard deserving compensation.

📞 Call 800.291.0963 today for free help verifying asbestos exposure, gathering documentation, and filing VA or civil claims.