Moulage makes exercises more believable

  • Published
  • By Airman Anthony Jennings
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Dozens of Airmen lay motionless on the ground, most with blood seeping through their clothes or shrapnel protruding from their bodies. 

What would seem like a scene from a bad horror movie or war film is actually the result of moulage. During a training exercise here July 22, Airmen were dressed up with plastic molds, fake blood and makeup to simulate the appearance of real injuries. 

The moulage applied replicated blast injuries ranging from burns and bruises to shrapnel and lacerations. Even the clothes they wore were cut, ripped and drenched with fake blood to further enhance the realism of the scenario. 

Members of the 96th Medical Support Squadron prepped volunteers with wounds simulating injuries which first responders and medics may encounter in real-world incidents. 

"A lot of experience with moulage comes from trial and error," said Tech. Sgt. Michele Edmond, 96th MDSS and moulage team leader. "You have to visualize what a certain injury looks like while applying the makeup. We try to get creative to make the injury as real as possible." 

The moulage gives a sense of realism so that medics and first responders can immediately assess what type of injury it is and administer proper medical aide, Sergeant Edmond explained. 

"It's useful because when a patient is lying on the ground and they can visually see the injury, it encourages medics to tap into their sense of urgency which is key to saving someone's life," she said. 

Airman 1st Class Charles Ellington, 96th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, agreed.
"When you actually get to see the wound, you're able to provide better treatment faster than if you were to read the injury off a sheet of paper." 

The bulk of the moulage used is clay that can be molded to create skin pieces. The moulage team also used liquid latex, Vaseline, metal, wood and even boiled chicken bones to create a realistic injury. One patient had a screwdriver in a stomach wound.

The amount of time spent applying the make-up to a single volunteer can range from 10 to 30 minutes. It took about two hours for the 96th MDSS staff to finish prepping all the volunteers.

"The make-up is cold, heavy and awkward to have on my face," said Airman Emily Dow, medical student. "The artwork they put on my face is grotesque...I'm impressed."

But the volunteer's role in the exercise didn't end with just wearing the makeup. They also acted out how a real victim would react after receiving severe bodily injuries. They are given cards describing their injuries and how to act. 

Airman Dow explained how exciting it was for her to participate in the exercise because "in the real world these training opportunities could potentially save lives." 

She adds, "It's scary to think what could happen in a real-world situation with these kinds of injuries."