Tripler Soldiers bring realism to RIMPAC

By Ana Allen, PRMCJuly 1, 2014

Moulage creation at TAMC
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A closer look at the moulage creation produced by Pfc. Sungjae Park, Behavior Health Specialist at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) that showcases a mock flesh wound impaled with metal, while conducting moulage training at TAMC, June 25, 2014. The... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Preparing for RIMPAC at TAMC with moulage
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Mike Calhoun, Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) Health Care Specialist, displays his favorite moulage creation, an injury with wood protruding from it, during moulage training at TAMC June 25, 2014. Each mock injury is accompanied by an exercis... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Tripler Soldier adds the final touches to his moulage creation
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Sungjae Park, Behavior Health Specialist at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) adds the finishing touches to his handiwork that showcases a mock flesh wound impaled with metal, while conducting moulage training at TAMC, June 25, 2014. The speci... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Moulage training at Tripler
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Mike Calhoun, Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) Health Care Specialist, works on his latest moulage creation, a mock injury slab, during moulage training at TAMC June 25, 2014. Each moulage creation is accompanied by an exercise patient role pl... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Patient role player card and moulage
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A closer look at the moulage creation and exercise patient role player card describing the injury pictured here created by Pfc. Mike Calhoun, Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) Health Care Specialist, during moulage training at TAMC June 25, 2014. Th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Applying cotton to mock injury during moulage training
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Mike Calhoun, Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) Health Care Specialist, adds a cotton ball to his moulage creation, a mock injury during moulage training at TAMC June 25, 2014. Each mock injury is accompanied by an exercise patient role player ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HONOLULU -- Stepping into a temporarily re-purposed conference room at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), June 25 you might think you've accidentally stumbled into the special effects department of a horror movie set.

Tripler Soldiers lean over slabs of mock injuries, meticulously adding more and more gruesome details to their creations as they perfect the art of moulage in support of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014, the world's largest international maritime exercise.

"I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this! It's the last thing I ever expected to do when I signed up for the Army," said Pfc. Sungjae Park, Behavior Health Specialist at TAMC, as he adds the finishing touches to his handiwork that showcases an injury that would be anyone's worst day, a wound impaled with metal. "It's important that our work looks as real as possible. There will be medical staff at RIMPAC accessing what kind of treatments they should apply based on our work so we want to do our best," said Park.

Dr. Ken Kelly, Emergency Department Chief at Tripler Army Medical Center says virtual or simulation training has become an essential part of military and civilian training and is intended to immerse an individual in a life like situation where critical thinking and decision making are required. "Simulation that recreates the stress and pressures of the real life experience has the most value. Moulage lends realism to patient care in the simulated combat or disaster environment," Kelly said.

"This one needs more bone," says Pfc. Mike Calhoun, TAMC Health Care Specialist, as he adds more simulated blood, broken bones and bruises to his work. "Every injury that we do is based off an exercise patient role player card that describes whatever the injury is supposed to be," he says. "It's actually pretty fun," Calhoun says as he adjusts the piece of wood protruding from his favorite injury so far. "It's not like any other assigned detail that you would do in the Army."

The simulated injuries will be applied to actors, along with stage make-up, who will endure a mock hurricane scenario during the mass casualty medical response portion of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief exercise at Ford Island, June 11.

Tripler is slated to provide moulage services for all Hawaii-area healthcare organizations, military and civilian, participating in RIMPAC.

RIMPAC will give government and private sector agencies statewide a chance to enhance disaster preparedness and provide a forum to enable agencies to identify areas for performance improvement.