The USS Antietam (CG-54) is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser laid down on November 15, 1984, and launched on February 14, 1986. It was commissioned on June 6, 1987, with the hull number CG-54 and it still serves in the US Navy. During its activities, the ship carried a complement of 400 people on board and had its main missions in San Diego, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Guam, Hawaii, Dubai, Florida, and Yokosuka. For the services brought to the country, the USS Antietam (CG-54) received the 2007 and 2008 Battle Efficiency awards. Prior to the 1970s, when the use of the toxic mineral was banned in shipbuilding, asbestos was pretty much everywhere on the vessel. United States veterans that have served at that time are highly likely to have been exposed for the time of their deployments to the toxic mineral. All insulation on the navy ships was done by mixing in asbestos, the pipes in the engine and boiler rooms were also covered with asbestos-containing materials. The poor ventilation in these spaces only further increased the level of toxicity since disturbing the asbestos when repair work would be necessary created hazardous dust that was breathed in by the workers on the job.
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