84% of Airmen say using VR improved their medical skills

(Left to right) Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jared Koohestani, virtual reality customer success manager, demonstrates how to interface with a virtual reality simulation for tactical combat casualty care at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Jan. 30, 2025. Ellsworth Airmen sampled eight distinct scenarios featuring virtual manikins in need of care. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Maher)

(Left to right) U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Adriana Jackson, 28th Operations Support Squadron all source intelligence analyst, Capt. Ryley McCarthy, 28th Operations Support Squadron chief of combat intelligence cell and U.S. Army Sgt. Melody Irwin, 1st Medical Brigade animal care technician, perform tactical combat casualty care training using virtual reality at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Jan. 30, 2025. Ellsworth Airmen had the opportunity to collaborate and work as a team utilizing a VR training module with multiplayer functionality. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Maher)

84% of Airmen say using VR improved their medical skills

U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Dana Maydew, 28th Operations Support Squadron intelligence analyst uses virtual reality to simulate Tactical Combat Casualty Care procedures at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Jan. 30, 2025. VR provides a cost effective method to introduce Airmen to crisis response, and refresh TCCC skills. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Maher)

84% of Airmen say using VR improved their medical skills

U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Adriana Jackson, 28th Operations Support Squadron all source intelligence analyst, right, listens to retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jared Koohestani, virtual reality customer success manager, during a tactical combat casualty care virtual reality demonstration at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Jan. 30, 2025. Ellsworth Airmen sampled eight distinct scenarios featuring virtual manikins in need of care. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Maher)

84% of Airmen say using VR improved their medical skills

Published Feb. 18, 2025
By Senior Airman Dylan Maher
28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Ellsworth Airmen went “VR” with select training programs, using modern tools to expand the number of scenarios available and practice medical procedures using virtual reality software.

The 28th Medical Group hosted representatives from a virtual reality company based out of Mountain View, California, on Jan. 30, 2025, and Airmen were able to sample various medical “sets and reps” using a curriculum designed for VR.

“The value of [VR] technology is that it’s readily available and requires little to no setup,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Aaron Mangubat, 28th MDG, education and training flight commander. “It also drives down the requirements for simulation training and decreases costs for supplies.”

The implementation of virtual reality with military training started with United States Special Operation Command before making its way to the regular Air Force, said Mangubat.

Prior to the 28th MDG, Mangubat was assigned to the 31st MDG at Aviano Air Base, Italy, where he championed the practicality of VR in the Air Force medical career field. He expanded on its practicality with a presentation at the 2024 Emergency Nurses’ Association Foundation Conference.

“Essentially, we are trying to establish that the users that were able to don the headsets found utility with their military readiness requirements,” said Mangubat. “For example, having the line side Airmen utilize the [Tactical Combat Casualty Care] scenarios for “sets and reps” and Ambulance services for [Emergency Medical Services] scenarios for currency and readiness training, to [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives] scenarios for disaster preparedness.”

U.S. Air Force Capt. Patrick Moore, 28th Operations Group executive officer and emergency medical technician, brought Airmen with Air Force Specialty Codes that typically don’t practice medical training extensively as the 28th MDG to try the VR tools. Moore understands how virtual reality bridges the knowledge gap between AFSCs and amplifies the quality of medical training.

“For non-medical professionals who don’t have access to moulage or intensive scenarios, [VR] offers perhaps the only immersive experience someone may have before finding themselves in a stressful situation,” said Moore. “As someone who teaches [Tactical Combat Casualty Care] and [Self-Aid and Buddy Care] at the entry level for 13 years and as an [Emergency Medical Technician], I see the incredible utility of this program.”

Advantages of virtual reality training include an immersive learning experience, tailored training, teamwork and collaboration, visual and practical learning, scenario modularity, engagement and retention and ease of use, said Moore.

“Despite telling people to imagine a serious bleed when applying a tourniquet,” said Moore. “Imagination only goes so far and does not induce the stressors liken to what will be experienced in a real trauma scenario.”

After participants finished using the VR program, they participated in a post survey. Among 25 participants at Ellsworth, 52% said the training was extremely immersive or realistic, 72% said they found it useful, and 84% said that virtual reality improved their medical skills.