EOD decompression chamber supports operations in Africa

U.S. Navy divers assigned to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), highlight their mobile decompression chamber at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Aug. 17, 2021. The decompression chamber supports the region by providing a high-pressure environment to treat decompression sickness, gas embolisms and carbon monoxide poisoning for U.S., allied and partner nations. Patients enter a small, confined chamber with just enough room for the patient and one other individual, the tender. The tender is typically a diving medical technician trained to endure the pressurized environment while ensuring proper patient care. Treatment includes cycling between breathing 100 percent oxygen to breathing natural chamber atmosphere. Flooding the body with oxygen in combination with increased atmospheric pressure shrinks gaseous bubbles that can form in bodily tissue, clears the body of carbon monoxide and promotes healing to damaged tissues. The process takes a minimum of five hours and up to three days, in extreme cases. In worst-case scenarios, if a diving medical technician is not available to tend a patient, non-diving medical personnel may fill the responsibility. In an effort to enhance mission readiness, EOD has hosted a demonstration for Camp Lemmonier healthcare providers to better familiarize them with the chamber’s capabilities. The decompression chamber is a mobile unit, capable of being lifted by several men and transported by vehicle or vessel. The chamber adds an extra layer of response readiness for service members operating in the region, enhancing CJTF-HOA’s ability to complete command missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Andrew Kobialka)