LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Blood seeped from gaping wounds, shards of metal and bolts pierced through skin, and fractured bones jutted from the marred flesh of haplessly wandering victims. Faces were unrecognizable from the litany of hemorrhaging gashes and lacerations, and dismembered limbs lay scattered about in a grotesque gallery.
While the scene appeared to be pulled from a zombie horror film, the "injuries" were the make-up magic of a team of 633rd Medical Group medics applying moulage, or simulated wounds, to role players in the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport's disaster response mass casualty exercise at the airport's fire department Oct. 5.
The six-person team applied realistic, movie-style wound makeup, including abrasions, impalements, puncture wounds and deep lacerations to a group of 50 Denbigh High School students who acted as victims of a simulated aircraft crash at the airport. Local emergency responders treated the "victims" later in the day during the response portion of the exercise.
According to Wanda Karls, the USAF Hospital Langley training administrator, the exercise marked the first time any of the medics applied moulage makeup. The team's experience in treating wounded patients helped them simulate real wounds effectively, which provided more realism for responders.
"We prepared victims in various degrees of injury. Some are walking wounded, others have life-threatening critical injuries," Karls said. "Our moulage effects make the responders categorize the victims as to the degree and necessity of care they need. It makes them make real-time decisions about treatment."
Karls said the medics not only applied the makeup, but instructed the students how to act, placing emphasis on the severity of the wounds they had.
"All our medics here today are (Emergency Medical Technicians) and have trained for dealing with traumatic injuries," she said. "They tell the kids what to do to make the scenario even more realistic."
Staff Sgt. Monica Fray, a medic who served on the moulage team, said the experience was "fun," and was a great opportunity to reach out to the community.
"This is a chance for us to apply what we've learned in the Air Force and give back to our local community, " she said. "The high schoolers had as much fun as we did. I love my job."