The USS Wiltsie (DD-716), a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy, was laid down on 13 March 1945 at Port Newark, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. The destroyer was launched on 31 August 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Irving D. Wiltsie, the widow of Captain Wiltsie. The vessel was commissioned on 12 January 1946 at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, with Commander Raymond D. Fusselman in command. It entered service in 1946 and remained active with the United States Navy until 1977 when it was decommissioned and sold to Pakistan. The vessel entered service with the Pakistan Navy as PNS Tariq (D165) in 1978. In 1990, the ship was renamed PNS Nazim to allow the name Tariq to be given to a newly-acquired Type 21 frigate. Though afloat, the vessel no longer sails. The USS Wiltsie (DD-716) crewmembers were likely to breathe in large amounts of asbestos fibers when they were sleeping, eating, and serving their country in battle. Those that worked in shipyards were also at serious risk for asbestos exposure, as they handled asbestos-containing materials during repair or maintenance work. Unfortunately, it is now known that asbestos exposure can cause serious illnesses that often do not appear until many years after the exposure.
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