Naval Support Activity Naples — Asbestos at the Sixth Fleet Mediterranean Headquarters

By Rights Watch Media Group LLC •June 22, 2026 • 2 min read

Firsthand Accounts from the Trades

Did you work at Naval Support Activity Naples? Add your account.

Records show what a yard was. They don’t show what the work was like. If you worked there — insulation, pipe, boilers, sheet metal, electrical, rigging, shipfitting — tell us what you remember: which shops and drydocks, which ships you worked, what came out during a rip-out. Every account helps another yard worker or a family understand where exposure happened, and where to look next.

About these accounts: they are personal recollections shared by workers and their families — individual memory, not records, and not independently verified. The yard history and documented exposure record on this page come from public, Navy and regulatory sources. These accounts sit alongside that record — they add to it, they don't change it.

Who an asbestos claim is actually against. These claims are brought against the companies that manufactured and sold the asbestos-containing products used at industrial sites like this one — the insulation, block, cement, gaskets and packing. A claim of that kind is not aimed at the Navy, at the yard, at the people you worked alongside, or at your local. And adding your recollection here is not filing anything: it is a record of what was on site and how the work was done. We are an independent publisher, not a law firm.

Years you worked there Your trade

Who you worked for (a contractor, or the yard itself) Local # (optional)

Your account

Not sure what's useful? A few things that help ›

Answer whatever comes to mind and skip the rest. Nothing here needs looking up, and a half-remembered name is worth more than a blank.

Any names you remember. On the bags and boxes the material came in, or stamped on a boiler, pump or valve. Even half a name helps — it's the hardest thing to recover this far on.
Who you worked for, and who else was out there. Most men were hired by a contractor rather than the plant, and the insulation crew was usually a different outfit again. If they were working over your head, that counts too.
When, as close as you can get. "Summer of '73" tells us more than "the seventies."
Outages and tear-outs. Shutdown work is when the old lagging came off in quantity — hot, dusty, and usually the worst of it.
Men you worked alongside. First names, or even nicknames. Someone who was there with you is worth a lot.
Whether the hall sent you. If you were dispatched out of a local, there may still be a record of which jobs and when.

Other sites you worked (optional — other yards, ships you worked, plants or powerhouses; we may not have pages for them yet)

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Reviewed by our team before it appears — for accuracy and your privacy. Published as a clearly-marked worker account, kept separate from the site's documented record. We never publish your email. Any other sites you name go on our list to research — if we can document one from records, it becomes a page. We're an independent publisher, not a law firm, and this is not legal advice.

Naval Support Activity Naples, located at the former Royal Italian Air Force base at Capodichino near Naples, Italy, serves as the headquarters of US Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) and Allied Joint Force Command Naples, and as the primary shore support installation for Sixth Fleet Mediterranean operations. The US Navy presence at Naples was established during the post-WWII occupation period and expanded through the Cold War as the primary Mediterranean headquarters installation. NSA Naples personnel — from Sixth Fleet staff officers to logistics and administrative ratings — occupied the Capodichino installation buildings for the duration of their Naples assignment.

Post-WWII-Era Building Infrastructure

NSA Naples’ building complex reflects the post-WWII US military occupancy period:

Post-WWII barracks and administrative buildings at Capodichino — the US Navy occupation of the former Capodichino airbase and the subsequent construction of American support facilities in the late 1940s and 1950s used military construction materials and standards of that era, incorporating asbestos-containing construction materials in the building interiors consistent with the period’s construction practice
Cold War-era expansion buildings — the expansion of NSA Naples facilities through the 1960s-1970s to support Sixth Fleet headquarters operations added additional buildings using asbestos-containing floor tile, ceiling tile, and mechanical system insulation consistent with US military overseas base construction standards of that era
Headquarters building mechanical systems — the administrative and headquarters buildings at NSA Naples used asbestos-insulated HVAC and plumbing system piping in the building mechanical systems serving the Cold War-era building complex

Sixth Fleet Headquarters Operations

NSA Naples served as the operational hub for Sixth Fleet Mediterranean operations:

Flag and staff officer assignment — Sixth Fleet staff officers and NAVEUR headquarters personnel assigned to NSA Naples occupied the station’s headquarters buildings and working spaces — primarily Cold War-era construction with asbestos-containing building materials — for the duration of their Naples tours
Fleet logistics and support operations — logistics, supply, and administrative ratings supporting Sixth Fleet operations from NSA Naples occupied the station’s support buildings with daily exposure to asbestos-containing construction materials in the building interiors

VA Claims for NSA Naples Veterans

VA evaluates asbestos-related disability claims on a case-by-case basis. Veterans generally need evidence of in-service asbestos exposure, a current asbestos-related diagnosis, and a medical link between them. Veterans who served at NSA Naples in post-WWII-era or Cold War-era buildings and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may qualify for VA disability benefits.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to ships, shipyards, companies, products, and asbestos-containing materials are drawn from public VA records, NARA archives, EPA/OSHA databases, and public litigation records. All references reflect what has been documented or alleged in publicly filed records. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.

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