Military Occupations and Asbestos Exposure Risk Ratings

Thousands of veterans were exposed to asbestos during their military service—often without ever knowing it. The VA recognizes that certain military jobs had a much higher risk of asbestos exposure, and they use those risk ratings when deciding whether to approve disability claims.

On this page, you can:

• Look up your military occupation or MOS code

• See how the VA ranks your exposure risk

• Understand how your job duties could have led to asbestos-related illness

Whether you’re filing a VA claim, appealing a denial, or helping a family member understand their options—this tool can help connect your service history to your diagnosis.

📎 Not sure how to file a claim? We can help you get started here »

Highly Probable Exposure

Veterans in these occupations were routinely exposed to asbestos during their military service. The VA considers asbestos exposure in these roles to be “Highly Probable”, meaning service connection is easier to establish—especially with proper documentation.

These jobs often involved working directly with asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, brake pads, or in confined shipboard spaces where asbestos was heavily used.

• Aviation Fire Control Technician - AQ

• Boiler Technician - BT

• Boilermaker - BR

• Boilermaker (WWII) - B

• Fire Control Technician - FT

• Fire Control Technician (Guns) - FTG

• Fire Controlman - FC

• Fireman - FN

• Hull Maintenance Technician - HT

• Instrumentman - IM

• Pipefitter - FP

• Sonar Technician - ST

• Sonar Technician (Submarine) - STS

• Sonar Technician (Surface) - STG/SOG

• Sonarman - SO

• Soundman - SoM

• Utilitiesman - UT

• Water Tender - WT

Probable Exposure

These occupations carried a significant risk of asbestos exposure, particularly for veterans who worked in older buildings, shipyards, or alongside high-risk trades. The VA considers asbestos exposure in these roles to be “Probable,” and claims may be approved with solid medical and service evidence.

Even if asbestos wasn’t part of the primary job duties, shared environments, maintenance tasks, and support roles often led to exposure.

• Aviation Antisub Warfare Technician - AX

• Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Operator - AW

• Aviation Boatswain’s Mate - ABF

• Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Aircraft Handler - ABH

• Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Launch & Rec Equip) - ABE

• Aviation Chief Metalsmith - ACM

• Aviation Electrician’s Mate - AE

• Aviation Electronic Technician - AT

• Aviation Machinist’s Mate - ADR

• Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) - ADJ

• Aviation Radioman - ARM

• Aviation Structural Mechanic - AM

• Aviation Structural Mechanic (Hydraulics) - AMH

• Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment) - AME

• Aviation Structural Mechanic (Structural) - AMS

• Aviation Support Equipment Technician - AS

• Builder - BU

• Construction Driver - CD

• Construction Electrician - CE

• Constructionman - CN

• Electrician’s Mate - EM

• Electronics Technician - ET

• Engineman - EN

• Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) - GSM

• Interior Communication Technician - IC

• Machinist Mate - MM

• Missile Technician - MT

• Molder - MLC

• Motor Machinist Mate - MOMM

• Painter - PTR

• Steelworker - SW

• Torpedoman’s Mate - TM

Minimal Exposure

These jobs are officially rated as having a “Minimal” risk of asbestos exposure, but that doesn’t mean exposure didn’t happen. Many veterans in these roles worked on bases, in ships, or near high-risk areas where asbestos dust was in the air, on tools, or tracked into shared spaces.

We often help veterans in these roles prove exposure by documenting duty stations, overlapping work areas, or equipment handled—even if the MOS itself wasn’t classified as high-risk.

• Aerographer’s Mate - AG

• Air Traffic Controller - AC

• Aircraft Maintenanceman (Master Chief) - AFCM

• Airman - AN

• Airman Apprentice - AA

• Airman Recruit - AR

• Aviation Maintenance Administrationman - AZ

• Aviation Ordnanceman - AO

• Aviation Storekeeper - AK

• Boatswain’s Mate - BM

• Commissaryman - CS

• Communication Technician - CT

• Construction Mechanic - CM

• Coxswain - Cox

• Cryptologic Technician (Collections) - CTR

• Damage Controlman - DC

• Data Processing Technician - DP

• Data System Technician - DS

• Dental Technician - DT

• Disbursing Clerk - DK

• Equipment Operator - EO

• Gunner’s Mate - GM

• Hospital Corpsman - HC

• Hospitalman - HN

• Lithographer - LI

• Machinery Repairman - MR

• Master-At-Arms - MA

• Mess Management Specialist - MS

• Metalsmith - M(ME)

• Mineman - MN

• Musician - MU

• Navy Counselor - NC

• Operations Specialist - OSPC

• Opticalman - OM

• Personnelman - PN

• Pharmacist - PHM

• Photographer’s Mate - PH

• Photographic Intelligenceman - PT

• Postal Clerk - PC

• Printer - Prtr

• Quartermaster - QM

• Radarman - RN

• Radarman - RD

• Radioman - RM

• Seaman - SN

• Seaman Apprentice - SA

• Ship’s Cook - SC

• Ship’s Serviceman - SH

• Shipfitter - SF

• Shipfitter (Metal Smith) - SFM

• Shipfitter (Pipefitter) - SFP

• Signalman - SM

• Steward’s Mate - StM

• Stewardsman - TN

• Stewart - SD

• Stewart Apprentice - TA

• Storekeeper - SK

• Teletype - TE

• Trademan - TD

• Yeoman - Y