AV-8B Harrier Asbestos Exposure

AV-8B Harrier Asbestos Exposure

The AV-8B Harrier II was a Marine Corps vertical/short takeoff and landing attack aircraft that joined the fleet during the 1980s. Naval aviation history identifies the AV-8B among the new aircraft entering naval aviation during that decade, while Marine Corps history states that VMA-331 became the first fully operational AV-8B squadron in January 1985.

Service on or around an AV-8B does not by itself prove asbestos exposure. Veterans researching possible exposure should identify their squadron, air station or ship, deployment, service dates, military specialty, aircraft configuration, work area, component, maintenance task, and records documenting material composition. Technical manuals, parts catalogs, maintenance files, specifications, procurement records, manufacturer information, and specific witness statements can help reconstruct the work performed.

AV-8B Harrier II Marine Corps Service History

The AV-8B Harrier II expanded the Marine Corps’ ability to operate fixed-wing attack aircraft from short runways, expeditionary sites, and amphibious ships. Marine Corps historical material states that VMA-331 became the first fully operational AV-8B squadron on January 25, 1985.

Naval aviation chronology records the first AV-8B Mediterranean deployment beginning on September 30, 1987, when USS Nassau departed Norfolk carrying aircraft assigned to VMA-231. Harriers later supported numerous Marine Corps deployments and combat operations.

V/STOL Missions and Operating Environments

The AV-8B’s vertical/short takeoff and landing capability supported Marine expeditionary operations from amphibious assault ships and austere shore locations. Marine Corps sources describe the aircraft’s mission as supporting the Marine Air-Ground Task Force through attack and escort operations.

Exposure research should distinguish aircraft maintenance from conditions elsewhere aboard a ship or at an air station. Hangars, shops, older facilities, shipboard spaces, support equipment, and renovation work can represent separate potential exposure pathways requiring their own documentation.

Aircraft Systems and Components to Investigate

The AV-8B includes propulsion, braking, hydraulic, electrical, environmental, landing-gear, flight-control, and other aircraft systems. Possible asbestos research should be component-specific rather than assuming that a broad aircraft system contained asbestos.

• Brake and friction components where documented
• Engine and exhaust-area heat-resistant materials
• Gaskets, seals, and packing where documented
• Electrical or wiring materials where documented
• Thermal and fire-resistant materials
• Ground-support equipment associated with Harrier maintenance

AV-8B Maintenance and Repair Duties

Marine aviation maintenance personnel could work around engines, landing gear, brakes, hydraulics, electrical systems, avionics, flight controls, environmental equipment, and airframe components. Historical exposure research should identify the veteran’s actual duties and whether those duties disturbed a component documented as containing asbestos.

Useful details include the component, tools used, removal or cleaning procedures, visible dust or debris, ventilation, frequency, duration, and whether the veteran performed the work directly or worked nearby while other personnel completed maintenance.

Brakes, Gaskets and Heat-Resistant Materials

VA identifies historical military asbestos use in friction products and heat-resistant materials, including brakes, gaskets, valves, cements, adhesives, heat-resistant fabrics, and floor and pipe coverings. VA explains that exposure can occur when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or damaged and fibers become airborne.

These general military product categories do not establish asbestos content in a particular AV-8B component. Part numbers, technical manuals, specifications, procurement records, manufacturer documents, and other product-specific evidence should be used to investigate the correct aircraft component and service period.

Air Stations, Flight Lines and Amphibious Ships

AV-8B personnel operated from Marine Corps air stations, deployed airfields, flight lines, hangars, and amphibious assault ships. Naval records document AV-8Bs aboard ships such as USS Nassau and USS Tarawa during operational deployments.

Research should identify the squadron, installation or ship, deployment, maintenance organization, work center, and dates. If suspected exposure involved an older building or shipboard material rather than the aircraft itself, facility or vessel records should be investigated separately.

Documenting AV-8B Harrier Work and Exposure

• DD214 and Official Military Personnel File records
• MOS, squadron, unit, ship, and duty-station records
• Deployment and aircraft-assignment histories
• AV-8B operator and maintenance technical manuals
• Illustrated parts catalogs and part-number records
• Aircraft maintenance, inspection, modification, and overhaul files
• Procurement, manufacturer, specification, and product records
• Specific firsthand coworker or witness statements

The strongest evidence connects the veteran to a particular aircraft, component, work location, and service period, identifies a documented asbestos-containing material, and describes the activity that could have disturbed it.

VA Benefits and Exposure Evidence

VA states that veterans may be eligible for disability compensation when they have a health condition caused by asbestos exposure and had contact with asbestos while serving in the military. Relevant evidence can include medical records, service records listing the veteran’s job or specialty, and medical evidence connecting military asbestos exposure with the claimed condition.

AV-8B assignment alone should not be treated as proof of asbestos exposure, disease causation, liability, or VA eligibility. Aircraft-, facility-, ship-, and product-specific evidence can supplement personnel and medical records when reconstructing an alleged exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the AV-8B Harrier II enter Marine Corps operational service?

Marine Corps historical material identifies VMA-331 as the first fully operational AV-8B squadron in January 1985.

Did AV-8Bs deploy aboard amphibious ships?

Yes. Naval aviation history records AV-8B deployments aboard amphibious assault ships, including the 1987 Mediterranean deployment aboard USS Nassau.

Does working on an AV-8B prove asbestos exposure?

No. Exposure research should connect the veteran’s duties to a specific component, product, facility material, shipboard material, or other source documented as containing asbestos during the relevant period.

Which Harrier components should be researched?

Research may focus on friction components, gaskets, heat-resistant materials, electrical materials, insulation, and other parts only when aircraft-specific documentation supports asbestos content.

What records can help document AV-8B maintenance duties?

Personnel files, squadron and deployment records, technical manuals, parts catalogs, maintenance records, specifications, procurement files, manufacturer information, and specific witness statements can help reconstruct the veteran’s work.

Confirmed Sources

• Naval History and Heritage Command — Naval Aviation, 1980–1989
• Naval History and Heritage Command — United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995
• U.S. Marine Corps — AV-8B Harrier Service History
• VA — Veterans Asbestos Exposure
• VA Veterans Health Library — Veteran Exposure to Asbestos

Review Your AV-8B Harrier Service History

Write down your Marine Corps squadron, air station or ship, deployments, service dates, MOS, aircraft assignment, maintenance organization, work area, components, repair tasks, tools, nearby maintenance or facility work, and coworkers you remember. Preserve personnel, squadron, ship, facility, technical, maintenance, parts, procurement, manufacturer, product, and medical records and clearly distinguish documented facts from recollection.

Call 800.291.0963 for a no-obligation case evaluation and to speak with a real person 24/7, 365 days a year. Mesothelioma Help Center is not a law firm or medical provider and does not determine VA eligibility.