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Service History
From the public Wikipedia / DANFS service-history record — source ›
USS Ouellet (FF-1077) was a Knox-class frigate commissioned in December 1970 and homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, serving throughout the Cold War with ten major Western Pacific deployments and operations in support of the Iranian Crisis and Operation Earnest Will. The vessel earned numerous commendations for excellence and law enforcement operations before being decommissioned on 6 August 1993. She was subsequently sold to the Royal Thai Navy in 1996 and renamed HTMS Phutthaloetla Naphalai.
Construction & Service Dates
Builder
Avondale Shipyards Inc., Westwego, Louisiana
Laid down
1969-01-15
Launched
1970-01-17
Commissioned
1970-12-12
Decommissioned
1993-08-06
Notable Tours / Service Eras
Cold War Western Pacific deployments 1972-1992
Iranian Crisis 1980
Operation Earnest Will 1987
Law Enforcement Operations Central America 1990
Combat Actions
Western Pacific deployment — hostile fire· 1972 anti-submarine frigate under fire
Home Ports & Forward Bases
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii — home port 1971-1993
Subic Bay, Philippines
Diego Garcia, BIOT
Saint-Denis, Réunion
Port Victoria, Seychelles
Phuket, Thailand
Singapore
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Kodiak Island, Alaska
Sydney, Australia
Drydock & Overhaul Periods
High Asbestos-Exposure Window
Unknown· 1974-1975 regular overhaul
Unknown· 1978-1979 regular overhaul
Unknown· 1985 third major overhaul with gun mount and CIWS upgrades
Unknown· 1988 Ship's Restricted Availability
Unknown· 1989-1990 dry dock
Cascade General Shipyard, Portland, Oregon· 1993-1998 refit (Thai Navy)
Asbestos rip-out, insulation replacement, and gasket-packing work occurred during these yard periods. Sailors aboard during overhauls had peak exposure to airborne asbestos fiber.
Notable Incidents
May 1982 — rescued 72 Vietnamese boat people from sinking fishing boat
May 1989 — assisted firefighting aboard USS White Plains (AFS-4)
21 April 1989 — first US Naval Vessel on scene for salvage of Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
1988 — joint Coast Guard operation to capture Christina M cargo vessel with 12 tons of marijuana
1990 — recovered close to 1 ton of cocaine during Law Enforcement Ops
Final Disposition
sold to Royal Thai Navy 1996 and renamed HTMS Phutthaloetla Naphalai
USS Ouellet (FF-1077) is a documented U.S. Navy frigate. The equipment reference below was extracted from the publicly-available Wikipedia article on this vessel, which cites the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) — the U.S. Navy’s official ship-history publication maintained by the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Equipment Reference
Equipment Manifest — USS Ouellet (FF-1077). 2 machinery/equipment entries identified through ship-specific BUSHIPS documentation. Manufacturers in bold link to documented asbestos-product history on AsbestosIndex.com.
Equipment
Manufacturer
Qty
Notes
Boiler, 1200psi
CE (Combustion Engineering)
2
Per Wikipedia infobox propulsion section for USS Ouellet (FF-1077)
Per Wikipedia infobox propulsion section for USS Ouellet (FF-1077)
Source: this equipment reference was extracted from public Wikipedia/DANFS records for USS Ouellet (FF-1077). These are secondary-source records — not primary BUSHIPS design documents. For litigation purposes, this data is a starting point; a ship-specific BUSHIPS Material Inspection Report or commissioning book would provide gold-standard verification.
The asbestos-containing products documented on U.S. Navy vessels and at shipyards are catalogued by manufacturer on AsbestosIndex. These records cross-reference which companies supplied which materials and to which facilities.
Navy Ratings Most Exposed to Asbestos Aboard Ouellet
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the public asbestos litigation record document that the following Navy ratings worked routinely in spaces where ACM was installed, maintained, ripped out, and replaced:
Fireman (FN) — engineering-plant tending across boiler and engine rooms
VA Presumptive Benefits — No Filing Deadline
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural disease as conditions presumed to be service-connected for Navy veterans with documented asbestos exposure under 38 CFR § 3.309(d). No statute of limitations applies to VA disability compensation claims.
Available benefits may include monthly disability compensation, Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses, priority VA healthcare enrollment, and Special Monthly Compensation for severe cases. Parallel claims against the asbestos bankruptcy trust funds established by the manufacturers of these products do not reduce VA compensation.
How to file a VA disability claim: VA claims are filed directly with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — not with a law firm. Start at VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or get free help filing from a Veterans Service Organization: DAV, VFW, or American Legion.
Source notes: equipment-manifest entries (where shown) are sourced from public-record BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) documentation, NARA archives, and the public asbestos litigation record. Manufacturer attributions link to documented asbestos-product histories on AsbestosIndex.com where available. Nothing on this page constitutes medical or legal advice.
Documented Asbestos-Exposure Environments — U.S. Navy Service
Public-domain U.S. Navy photographs illustrating the engineering spaces, ratings, and yard environments where asbestos materials were routinely encountered during normal duty.
All images are public domain (U.S. Government works). Specific photographs depict generic Navy engineering and yard environments — not the named vessel above. Asbestos materials shown or implied include pipe lagging, boiler insulation, steam-line covering, and gasket / packing materials standard on U.S. Navy vessels through the early 1980s.
Ouellet FF-1077 — Frequently Asked Questions
Are Ouellet FF-1077 veterans covered by Navy asbestos litigation records?
Yes. Ouellet FF-1077 is documented in the public U.S. Navy asbestos litigation record. U.S. Navy vessels of her service era were built to BUSHIPS specifications that required asbestos insulation throughout engineering spaces, on steam lines, around boilers and turbines, and in gasket and packing materials.
Which shipboard components on Ouellet FF-1077 contained asbestos?
Asbestos-containing materials documented aboard U.S. Navy vessels of Ouellet FF-1077's era include: boiler insulation and lagging, steam-line pipe insulation, turbine and reduction-gear casings, valve packing, gaskets, brake and clutch friction materials, electrical wire insulation, overhead pipe coverings in berthing and mess spaces, and Navy-issue boiler cement and refractory in fireboxes.
What ratings were exposed to asbestos serving on Ouellet FF-1077?
Navy ratings with the highest documented asbestos exposure include Machinist's Mate (MM), Boiler Technician (BT), Hull Maintenance Technician (HT), Engineman (EN), Electrician's Mate (EM), Interior Communications Electrician (IC), Damage Controlman (DC), and Pipefitter / Shipfitter. Officers in engineering departments also encountered asbestos in normal duty. Shipyard workers performing overhaul, repair, or refit work had concentrated exposure during yard periods.
What equipment manufacturers are documented on Ouellet FF-1077?
Documented equipment manufacturers aboard Ouellet FF-1077 include: CE (Combustion Engineering), Westinghouse. These manufacturers supplied boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, electrical equipment, and insulation systems through BUSHIPS contracts during the asbestos era.
Do Ouellet FF-1077 veterans qualify for VA disability for mesothelioma?
Yes. Mesothelioma is recognized by the VA as service-connected for veterans with documented Navy service and qualifying asbestos exposure. Ouellet FF-1077 veterans (or surviving family) typically file at VA.gov, by phone at 1-800-827-1000, or with assistance from a Veterans Service Officer through DAV, VFW, or American Legion. Civil claims against asbestos product manufacturers are separate from VA benefits — many veterans pursue both paths.
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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