HONOLULU
Animal-rights activists want the U.S. to stop using animals as subjects to help train its military, calling the medical and trauma exercises cruel and a disservice to the troops.
Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter Monday to Defense Secretary Robert Gates asking him to replace the use of animals with non-animal methods such as human simulators.
In the letter, PETA said the military inflicts gunshot, burn and chemical wounds on monkeys, pigs and goats for training.
"This outmoded practice is not only cruel, but is a disservice to the men and women who risk their lives in defense of our country and who deserve the most effective trauma training methods available," wrote Kathy Guillermo, director of the PETA's Laboratory Investigations Department.
Pentagon spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin on Tuesday said military officials will take a look at the letter and respond appropriately.
PETA's letter comes 10 days after the group failed to prevent the Army from shooting live pigs and treating their gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.
The Army said the training is critical to teach soldiers how to manage critically injured patients within the first few hours of their injuries when there are no medics, doctors or facilities nearby.
PETA believes the military's Combat Trauma Patient Simulation system, which is being used at other bases such as Camp Pendleton in California and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, is a more advanced and humane option.
PETA noted the Department of Defense's animal welfare policy that states, "Alternative methods to the use of animals must be considered and used if such alternatives produce scientifically valid or equivalent results to attain the research, education, training, and testing objectives."
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Patriot
With all due respect, my friend, I think it would serve you well to rethink your thoughts. How in the world can you fault PETA for he lenient sentence given the driver that caused your father's death? This seems like a questionable decision by a judge, totally unrelated to the PETA case. Comparing the two makes no sense at all! Secondly, to question the right of American's, (yes, even those who comprise organizations whose beliefs are contrary to yours, such as PETA) to question their government, is totally "Unamerican" and contrary to the protection afforded by our Constitution. I, for one, am grateful for the hard work done by PETA to enlighten the rest of us about the unnecessary cruelty inflicted on animals.
2 Cents
Okay instead of pigs, use Peta.
If PETA cared about our troops they wouldn't try to stop this
"Disservice to our troops" they say? Their efforts to stop this testing demonstrate the utmost LACK of concern for our troops--but our troops are people--not animals--so that's no surprise. MTMSR's posting is right on the mark, there is absolutely NO substitute for this type of training--not even in emergency rooms across the country which can't duplicate the weapons used against our military. As far as putting animals in control as unbrokenchain wants, I don't think a bunch of pigs would have been able to stop the Japanese and Germans in World War II unless they were pausing to replenish their rations on the battlefield. As to animals not terrorizing each other--all many do almost every waking moment is look for other animals to eat alive. I guess that fits some people's view of "terrorism" but not mine. Department of Defense, keep testing on live pigs, it's the right thing to do.
Peta
People Embarrassing the Tidewater Area
umm, Pilot, hello?
Earlier today I made joke about PETA volunteers that was swiftly deleted. But someone can suggest that the military shoot thmselvs and thats OK? You're showing your bias again....
jmo
animals
Past comments on the best training is from a hospital ER is correct, let them work on real people with real problems. Leave the animals alone. The best way to stop animal abuse is start writing senators and congressman. People with any class at all would have no part of this type of abuse to animals.
I Agree
Dispatch training personnel to Americas' hospital ER's and University hospitals and use animal flesh only when neccessary. A soldiers chances of survival are worse in a foreign land than on U.S. territory simply for the lack of infrastructure. "Annie Annie's" are not good enough.
PETA IS RIGHT
Even a broken clock is correct two times per day, and PETA is uncharacteristically correct on this issue.
Score one for the do-gooder, busy-body, can't make it with humans crowd.
ER Training! lol!
That is exactly what I want, a bunch of people getting in the way asking question while someone is trying to save my life! How about we tell PETA to take the place of the animals? Why do we even care what PETA thinks? I cannot understand how a human can listen to or even act in favor of someone who feels your life is worth less than a dogs.
Do I sound bitter? YES I DO.
My father was killed by a drunk driver who received less jail time than the guy who killed a puppy in Chesapeake. Thanks to PETA the system now feels my fathers life was worth less than a DOGS!
Our combat service personnel deserve better!
As Johnh said, any ER can provide far better experience patching injuries caused by guns, knives, or fire. Not only would this give the medical personnel real-life experience working on humans, it might also help improve service at understaffed ER's.
Put the monkeys in charge, they're smarter
I say put those animals in command instead of the pea-brained humans with guns. Even if they can't sew up a wound for each other, they at least don't go around terrorizing and shooting each other just for the sake of learning. I've got an idea, let's have all these simply brilliant assortments of jugheads with big guns that we call armies practice shooting on themselves, then there won't be ANY war!
Keep on trying PeTA, maybe people will start to open their minds before it's too late!!
Alternative method
When it comes to the training for the medical treatment of combat injuries and wounds, there is no better classroom or field training done than that on live animals. No matter how good a human simulator is, it cannot duplicate cellular construction, perfusion, clotting, and reaction to trauma or burns, nor can it effectively duplicate response to care measures. You can only learn so much working on silicone and gel. Medics need to know exactly what to expect and how to treat it, not just something in they read in a book and practice on a mannequin.
Hmm, maybe if the PeTA members were to volunteer their services in lieu of the pigs, goats, and other animals, it wouldn't be an issue. Then the medic's training would be as close to real as possible.
This is Crazy
You would thing that with all the available technology today that this practice would not be needed. If it saves lives I agree with the use of the pigs. However, I do not feel that it is needed. I think the military is making a bad choice in it's training. If the military needs traing just send them to a hospital emergency room. Plenty of action there.