Moulage, making wounds real

by Airman Ty-Rico Lea
JBER Public Affairs

4/8/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- More than 20 Airmen participated in exercise Polar Force 13-3, simulating victims of various scenarios at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson April 7.

During these exercises, groups of augmentees are used as moulage victims; they are first given cards that detail what their injuries are; then, trained moulage artists go to work.

Once individuals are done being moulaged, they are transported to designated areas such as mortuary settings, simulated deployed locations and Self-Aid Buddy Care stations.

"The majority of what I do for moulage is for exercise purposes, but I also perform moulage crafts at the simulation center," said Will Enfinger, a simulation operator with the 673d Medical Group.

Will Enfinger is also an ICF international employee, which is a company contracted by the Air Force to work the medical modeling and simulation training program.

Enfinger conducts training programs educating individuals on proper techniques of moulage crafting for emergency medical technician training, trauma nurse training and pediatric training.

"Taking the time to do the moulages can range anywhere from five minutes to an hour," Enfinger said.

Service members from the 673d and 176th Medical Groups saw first-hand what moulage make-up can create.

"The moulage makes this portion of the exercise more realistic and gives us a visual we can work with," said Senior Airman Krystal Bell, an aerospace medical technician journeyman with the 673d Surgical Operations Squadron.

Moulage can alter anyone's appearance to resemble minor injuries or casualties.

"The use of moulage during the exercise almost had me convinced that the injuries were real," said Airman 1st Class Sean O' Brien with the 176th Medical Support Squadron aerospace medicine technician apprentice.