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Exposure by Occupation

Toxic Exposure by Military Job

What you did in the military often determined what you were exposed to. These pages document, job by job, the toxic exposures each occupation involved, the health conditions linked to them, and how job-based exposure can support a VA disability claim. Job title alone almost never creates a VA presumption: presumptive status depends on where and when you served, while job-based exposure typically supports a direct service connection claim.

Boiler Technician

Navy rating BT; the Coast Guard used the equivalent Boilerman (BT) rating aboard its cutters until it merged into the Machinery Technician rating in the 1970s

Exposures: Asbestos, Fuel oils (heavy fuel oil and marine diesel), Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soot, Extreme heat (heat stress)

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Machinist's Mate

Navy rating MM; submarine auxiliary variant MMA; nuclear power variant MMN

Exposures: Asbestos, Fuel oil and petroleum products, Solvent degreasers, including TCE, AFFF firefighting foam (PFAS)

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Hull Maintenance Technician

Navy rating HT (established 1972); predecessor Navy ratings Shipfitter (SF), Metalsmith (ME), and Pipefitter (FP)

Exposures: Asbestos, Welding and cutting fumes (hexavalent chromium), Cadmium fume, Industrial solvents, including TCE, Confined space atmospheres (concentrated fumes and vapors)

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Damage Controlman

Navy rating DC; Coast Guard rating DC

Exposures: AFFF firefighting foam (PFAS), Asbestos, Fire smoke and combustion byproducts, PFAS in drinking water at training installations

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Military Firefighter

Navy rating ABH (Aviation Boatswain's Mate, Handling: crash and salvage); Army MOS 12M (Firefighter); Air Force AFSC 3E7X1 (Fire Protection)

Exposures: AFFF firefighting foam, PFAS (forever chemicals), Combustion byproducts (benzene, formaldehyde, smoke), Asbestos

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Aircraft Mechanic

Army 15-series aviation maintenance MOSs (including 15T UH-60 Helicopter Repairer); Navy ratings AD (Aviation Machinist's Mate) and AM (Aviation Structural Mechanic); Air Force AFSC 2A5X1 (Airlift/Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance) and related 2A maintenance AFSCs

Exposures: Trichloroethylene (TCE) and chlorinated degreasers, Jet fuel (JP-4, JP-5, and JP-8), Hexavalent chromium in chromate primers and paints, Hydraulic fluids (organophosphate esters), Asbestos

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Avionics Technician

Navy rating AT (Aviation Electronics Technician); Marine Corps MOSs in occupational fields 63 and 64, such as 6391 (Avionics Maintenance Chief); Army MOS 15N (Avionic Mechanic); Air Force avionics AFSCs in the 2A family, such as 2A0X1 (Avionics Test Station and Components); Coast Guard rating AET (Avionics Electrical Technician, formerly AVT)

Exposures: Trichloroethylene (TCE) and chlorinated degreasing solvents, Lead from solder fume and solder dust, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in older electronic components, Benzene and mixed solvent products

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Fuel Specialist

Army MOS 92F (Petroleum Supply Specialist); Air Force AFSC 2F0X1 (Fuels); Navy rating ABF (Aviation Boatswain's Mate, Fuels); Marine Corps MOS 1391 (Expeditionary Fuels Technician, formerly Bulk Fuel Specialist)

Exposures: Benzene, Jet fuels (JP-4, JP-5, JP-8), Tetraethyl lead (leaded avgas and MOGAS), AFFF firefighting foam (PFAS)

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Vehicle Mechanic

Army MOS 91B Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic and related 91-series maintenance specialties; Marine Corps MOS 3521 Automotive Maintenance Technician; comparable vehicle and motor transport maintenance roles in the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard

Exposures: Asbestos (brake and clutch friction products), Trichloroethylene (TCE) and chlorinated degreasing solvents, Used engine oil (mineral-based crankcase oil), Diesel and engine exhaust

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Military Electrician

Navy ratings EM (Electrician's Mate) and IC (Interior Communications Electrician); Army MOS 12R (Interior Electrician); Coast Guard rating EM (Electrician's Mate)

Exposures: Asbestos, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Trichloroethylene (TCE) and degreasing solvents, Lead

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Aircraft Painter / Corrosion Control

Navy rating AM (Aviation Structural Mechanic); Marine Corps airframes MOSs 6152/6252; Air Force AFSC 2A7X3 (Aircraft Structural Maintenance); Army MOS 15G (Aircraft Structural Repairer)

Exposures: Hexavalent chromium (chromate primers and conversion coatings), Isocyanates (polyurethane topcoats), Methylene chloride (chemical paint strippers), Mixed organic solvents (MEK, toluene, xylene, thinners)

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Water Treatment Specialist

Army MOS 92W (Water Treatment Specialist); Navy rating UT (Utilitiesman, Seabees); Air Force AFSC 3E4X1 (Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance)

Exposures: TCE, PCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride (contaminated source water, including Camp Lejeune), Chlorine gas and calcium hypochlorite (disinfection chemicals), PFAS in groundwater and source water, Asbestos (asbestos cement water mains, pipe insulation, plant infrastructure)

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Combat Engineer

Army MOS 12B; Marine Corps MOS 1371 (combat engineer officers serve as Army 12A and Marine Corps 1302)

Exposures: TNT and RDX (demolition explosives), Burn pit smoke and airborne hazards, Asbestos, Lead (lead-based paint and dust), Diesel exhaust

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Ammunition Specialist

Army MOS 89B (Ammunition Specialist); Navy rating GM (Gunner's Mate); Air Force AFSC 2W0X1 (Munitions Systems Specialist)

Exposures: TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene), RDX (cyclonite / Royal Demolition Explosive), Lead (from small arms ammunition and firing ranges), Chlorinated solvents (trichloroethylene, TCE)

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Radar and Communications Technician

Navy and Coast Guard rating ET (Electronics Technician); Army MOS 94E (Radio Equipment Repairer, formerly Radio and Communications Security Repairer) and 94M (Radar Repairer); Air Force AFSC 1C8X3 (Radar, Airfield and Weather Systems); Marine Corps occupational field 28XX (Ground Electronics Maintenance)

Exposures: Trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chlorinated solvents, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Radiofrequency (RF) radiation (non-ionizing), X-ray radiation from high voltage vacuum tubes (ionizing), Asbestos

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Construction Engineer (Seabee)

Navy Seabee (Naval Construction Force) ratings: Builder (BU), Steelworker (SW), Construction Electrician (CE), Equipment Operator (EO), Construction Mechanic (CM), Utilitiesman (UT), and Engineering Aide (EA); Army MOS 12N (Horizontal Construction Engineer)

Exposures: Asbestos, Respirable crystalline silica, Diesel engine exhaust, Lead (paint and coatings)

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Served somewhere specific? Check the documented contamination at your base, see the presumptive conditions list, or browse cancers linked to service.

This page is for informational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional about your health or benefits.