Evidence
11 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-11).
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[1]GAO HRD-80-2, 'Navy's Efforts to Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure' (B-163375, 18 Oct 1979), Enclosure I: CNO letter Ser 4542/318054 of 5 Jan 1979, Attachment #1 'List of U.S. Navy Ships Delivered Since 1973 or Under Construction' + Note 1 (live gao.gov fetch blocked; Wayback capture 2021-07-02) [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2 Enclosure I, Attachment #1, 'DESTROYER - DD' table, FLETCHER row (PDF p. 8 of the enclosure pagination); Note 1 at end of attachment
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- The CNO's 5 Jan 1979 enclosure to GAO names this hull: in Attachment #1's 'DESTROYER - DD' table, FLETCHER (992) appears with construction start 7/77 and delivery 9/80, inside the contiguous run DD-983 through DD-992 whose THERMAL INSULATION column is annotated 'Asbestos-free thermal insulation' (the label is printed at JOHN RODGERS, DD-983, the head of the run). The table divides the Spruance-class destroyer list into DD-963-973 marked 'Asbestos thermal insulation' (consistent with the CNO letter's 'first eleven' DD-963-class ships delivered with asbestos insulation as late as May 1978), an unlabeled middle block DD-974-982, and the DD-983-992 asbestos-free-insulation run containing this hull. Note 1 to the table states: 'thermal insulation refers to such insulation for machinery, equipment and piping. In addition to the exceptions noted for specific ships, asbestos is also used in shipboard applications for which no suitable (asbestos-free) substitutes have as yet been designated, i.e., gaskets and pipe hanger liners.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1977-1980 (construction/delivery as listed); document 1979
- Population
- Ingalls Shipbuilding construction trades 1978-80; commissioning-era and later crew
- Limitations
- Establishes a ship-specific Navy statement that DD-992's thermal insulation (machinery, equipment, piping) was asbestos-free - it does NOT establish an asbestos-free ship: Note 1 documents asbestos in shipboard applications including gaskets and pipe hanger liners, and the CNO cover letter states every ship in service contained some asbestos (e.g., deck tile, galley cabling, packing, brake/clutch linings, resistors). The status labels are block-level annotations in the printed table; DD-992 is the last row of the labeled run. Does not quantify remaining asbestos, locate it, or address individual exposure or causation. gao.gov blocks automated fetches (403); verified against the 2021-07-02 Wayback full-text PDF capture.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-01
-
[2]DANFS, Fletcher II (DD-992), NHHC official ship history (published 25 Feb 2020; live page currently 404 - Wayback capture cited) [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- DANFS Fletcher II entry, spec block + full service narrative + Commanding Officers table (Wayback capture of the live NHHC page, which currently serves 404)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- DANFS record for this hull: second U.S. naval vessel named Fletcher, named for Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher (the first, DD-445, named for his uncle Rear Adm. Frank Friday Fletcher); laid down 24 Apr 1978 at Pascagoula, Miss., by Ingalls Shipbuilding; launched 16 Jun 1979; sponsored by Mrs. Catharine K. Train (wife of Adm. Harry D. Train II) 21 Jul 1979; commissioned Jul 1980 with Cmdr. Steven C. Saulnier in command (narrative reads '21 July 1980' but the entry's own Commanding Officers table gives 12 July 1980, matching NVR). Spec block: Spruance class; 7,800 tons; 563'; beam 55'; draft 29'; 30+ knots; complement 294; 2x5-inch, ASROC, Sea Sparrow, 6 Mk 32 TTs, 2 SH-2D Seasprites. Service: 30th Spruance-class built, 15th to join Pacific Fleet, CruDesGru 5/DesRon 9; homeport San Diego then Pearl Harbor (1991); 1983 Central America diversion and Vietnamese refugee assistance; shipyard events include post-shakedown availability at Pascagoula (Jan-May 1981), sonar-dome emergency repairs in dry dock at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp. (Dec 1984-Feb 1985), complete overhaul in dry dock at Long Beach Naval Shipyard (2 Oct 1986-spring 1987; AN/SQQ-89, LAMPS III, Phalanx, Classic Outboard upgrades), dry dock availability at Long Beach (Jun-Jul 1990), dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (1991) and regular overhaul in dry dock no. 4 there (Dec 1994); Tomahawk missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom spring 2003 (~20 missiles); Operation Sea Swap 17+ months in Fifth Fleet supporting OIF/OEF; decommissioned at NS San Diego 1 Oct 2004.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1978-2004
- Population
- Ingalls construction trades 1978-80; Long Beach Naval Shipyard overhaul workers 1986-87 and 1990; Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard 1991/1994; crew 1980-2004
- Limitations
- DANFS documents service history, namesake, and yard periods - not materials or asbestos content. Whether the documented yard overhauls (Long Beach 1986-87, Pearl Harbor 1994, etc.) involved asbestos work is not stated; any asbestos scope is inference only. Internal date conflict: narrative says commissioned '21 July 1980' while the same entry's CO table and NVR give 12 July 1980 - 12 July carried, conflict in gaps. NASSCO is not in the Atlas yard dataset - carried in gaps.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-02
-
[3]GAO HRD-80-2 main letter and Enclosure II (CNO letter Ser 454D/318571, 8 Feb 1979): Navy asbestos policy history and class-level thermal-insulation estimates [gao]
- Locator
- HRD-80-2 pp. 1-4 (main letter); Enclosure I cover letter paragraphs on the 1973 spec change and NAVSEAINST 5100.2; Enclosure II estimate table
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- Program-level context for DD-992's construction era: insulation specifications were changed to call for asbestos-free materials by late 1973, and the Navy's no-asbestos policy statement NAVSEAINST 5100.2 issued 24 Oct 1975; ships already insulated continued to delivery with asbestos insulation 'as late as May 1978'; the Navy declined a one-time fleetwide asbestos removal program (estimated ~$2 billion) and instead required replacement of damaged insulation and, from January 1979, selective replacement in high-maintenance areas, expecting 30-50 percent of insulation to remain untouched over a ship's life. Enclosure II estimated thermal insulation weight per ship class (Destroyer - DD: 87,634 lbs, derived from the asbestos-insulated DD-964); this class figure does not apply to the asbestos-free-insulation DD-983-992 run.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1971-1979 (document scope)
- Population
- Navy shipbuilding and repair workforce; ship crews fleetwide
- Limitations
- Program/class-level context only - the policy narrative and the 87,634-lb destroyer figure describe the fleet and the asbestos-insulated DD-963-class ships (DD-963-973), not materials aboard DD-992, whose listed status is asbestos-free thermal insulation. No hull-specific quantity, location, or abatement is established.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-03
-
[4]Naval Vessel Register, FLETCHER (DD 992) ship detail record (NAVSEA official inventory; live page returns navigation frame only for disposed hulls - 24 Feb 2021 Wayback capture) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NVR SHIPSDETAIL_DD_992 record fields (vessel status, milestone dates, physical characteristics); Wayback capture 2021-02-24
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NVR registry record for this hull: class DD 963 (Spruance); UIC 20839; builder Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.; award 15 Jan 1975; keel 24 Apr 1978; launch 16 Jun 1979; delivery 16 Jun 1980; commission 12 Jul 1980; decommission 1 Oct 2004; stricken 1 Oct 2004; status 'Disposed of in support of Fleet training exercise' effective 16 Jul 2008. Physical characteristics: 563 ft overall / 529 ft waterline; beam 55 ft; light displacement 6,593 tons, full 9,040 tons; steel hull, aluminum superstructure; gas-turbine propulsion; two propellers; accommodations 24 officers and 272 enlisted; custodian US Navy; record last updated 21 Jul 2008.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1975-2008
- Population
- Construction and operating personnel, 1978-2008
- Limitations
- NVR documents registry milestones and physical characteristics, not materials or asbestos content. The live detail page renders data via script and returns only the navigation frame to automated fetches; a Feb 2021 Wayback capture of the record is cited. NVR 'accommodations' is a design berthing figure, not an observed crew count.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-04
-
[5]Naval History and Heritage Command, photo USN 1175244, 'Fletcher (DD-992) Fife (DD-991),' official Navy photograph record [other_primary]
- Locator
- NHHC photo catalog record, title and description block (catalog no. USN 1175244)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NHHC identifies this hull in an official U.S. Navy photograph: 'Fletcher (DD-992) (left) and Fife (DD-991) Fitting out at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 20 July 1979. They were the final two of the original thirty Spruance class destroyers ordered by the U.S. Navy, and were to be formally christened on the following day, 21 July.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Ingalls Shipbuilding construction personnel, 1979
- Limitations
- The photograph record establishes identity, builder, class, and fitting-out context; it does not document asbestos content, crew exposure, or a complete ship history.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-05
-
[6]NHHC Archives Branch, Collection 94 finding aid, accession 2007-31 (CNO N09B22 records) [other_primary]
- Locator
- Collection 94 PDF, accession 2007-31, Box 360, item 9
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- The NHHC finding aid lists a dedicated folder for this hull: 'USS Fletcher (DD 992): Decommissioning and Changes, 1979-2004,' item 9 in Box 360 of accession 2007-31. The accession was received from the CNO's N09B22 office in 2007, comprises 4 record-center boxes containing records classified up to Secret, and per the finding aid 'has not had a Declassification Review.'
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1979-2004
- Population
- U.S. Navy administrative and decommissioning records
- Limitations
- Archival finding aid only - folder contents were not examined and may or may not contain material-condition, abatement, or disposal records. The accession was not declassification-reviewed at finding-aid time.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-06
-
[7]NHHC, 'Appendix 12: Ships Named for Naval Aviators' (naval aviation history publication), Fletcher entries [nhhc_danfs]
- Locator
- Appendix 12 PDF, Fletcher table rows
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The NHHC appendix lists two Fletcher hulls under the name honoring 'ADM Frank J. Fletcher, USN': DD-445 (commissioned 30 Jun 1942) and DD-992 (commissioned 12 Jul 1980), documenting this hull's namesake and commission date.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 1980
- Population
- n/a (namesake/identity record)
- Limitations
- The appendix lists the name honoree as Adm. Frank J. Fletcher for both hulls; secondary sources describe DD-992 as named for Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher (nephew of DD-445's namesake Adm. Frank Friday Fletcher) and sometimes both admirals - the namesake distinction is carried in gaps. The entry does not document materials or service detail.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-07
-
[8]Public Law 108-375 (FY2005 NDAA), sec. 1013(b)(1) 'Transfers by Sale' - Fletcher (DD-992) to Chile (enacted 28 Oct 2004) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PL 108-375, sec. 1013(b)(1)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Public Law 108-375, sec. 1013(b)(1), authorized the President to transfer 'the SPRUANCE class destroyer FLETCHER (DD-992)' to the Government of Chile on a sale basis under section 21 of the Arms Export Control Act. The sale was never executed; the ship remained in U.S. custody and was later authorized for grant transfer to Pakistan (PL 109-134).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2004
- Population
- n/a (disposition record)
- Limitations
- A statutory transfer authorization is not evidence that a transfer occurred or of the vessel's material condition; it establishes post-service disposition history for this hull only.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-08
-
[9]Public Law 109-134, Naval Vessels Transfer Act of 2005, sec. 2(a)(3) - Fletcher (DD-992) to Pakistan (enacted 20 Dec 2005) [other_primary]
- Locator
- PL 109-134, secs. 2(a)(3) and 3 condition language; expiration provision
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- The Naval Vessels Transfer Act of 2005 authorized the President to transfer 'the SPRUANCE class destroyer ship FLETCHER (DD-992)' to the Government of Pakistan on a grant basis under section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and required to the maximum extent practicable that repair or refurbishment needed before the vessel joined the recipient's forces be performed at a U.S. shipyard, including a Navy shipyard. Authority expired two years after enactment; the transfer was never executed and the hull was sunk as a target in July 2008.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2005-2008
- Population
- n/a (disposition record)
- Limitations
- Establishes authorized disposition and a refurbishment-in-U.S.-yards condition only; it does not establish that any refurbishment occurred, what materials were aboard, or asbestos status. The Advertiser reports the deal 'fell through.'
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-09
-
[10]William Cole, 'Destroyer sinking was a bittersweet moment for some,' The Honolulu Advertiser, 4 Aug 2008 [reputable_press]
- Locator
- Honolulu Advertiser, 4 Aug 2008, body text
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporaneous local-press account of this hull's final disposition: the ex-Fletcher (DD-992) was sunk by a heavyweight Mk-48 torpedo off Kaua'i during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) war games in July 2008, fired by the Australian submarine HMAS Waller; the torpedo broke the ship's back. The article also records that DD-992 served as a 'sea swap' platform (2002-2004, four crews), fired nearly 20 missiles during the opening of the Iraq war in 2003 while remaining underway 89 consecutive days, was decommissioned in 2004 in San Diego, was slated for delivery to Pakistan (deal fell through), and was held at the Navy's inactive-ship fleet at Middle Loch, Pearl Harbor, until sunk.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- 2002-2008
- Population
- n/a (disposition record); crew 1980-2004
- Limitations
- Reputable contemporaneous press, not an official record - NVR confirms the disposal status and date (16 Jul 2008 'in support of Fleet training exercise'). The article's service details are uncorroborated by an official source in this record; no asbestos or hazmat content is reported.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-10
-
[11]EPA, 'SINKEX Determination and Agreement' (MPRSA general permit 'Transport of Target Vessels,' 40 C.F.R. 229.2) - regulatory framework for Navy target-vessel preparation [other_primary]
- Locator
- EPA SINKEX Determination and Agreement (signed PDF, EPA snapshot site)
- Finding type
- regulatory
- Finding
- Navy SINKEX operations, including the RIMPAC sinking of ex-Fletcher, are conducted under the MPRSA general permit at 40 C.F.R. 229.2 ('Transport of Target Vessels'), under which EPA reviews and the Navy verifies and reports vessel-preparation requirements including removal of PCBs and other regulated materials. The framework provides context for the hull-preparation regime a SINKEX target underwent; no Fletcher-specific preparation, hazmat-removal, or asbestos-survey record was located in public sources.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- context_only
- Accessed
- 2026-09-28
- Study period
- permit framework; Fletcher SINKEX 2008
- Population
- Navy/contractor personnel performing SINKEX preparation
- Limitations
- Program-level regulatory context only. The determination documents the permit regime for SINKEX vessel preparation, not what was found aboard or removed from ex-Fletcher; no hull-specific hazmat record is cited.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-fletcher-dd992-11