Thread: Watch Out Porky! Army Shooting Live Pigs In Training Exercise

HONOLULU — The Army on Friday was holding an exercise involving shooting live pigs and treating the gunshot wounds in training it says is critical to saving soldiers' lives but which has sparked outcry from animal-rights activists.

The training, held at Schofield Barracks for Iraq-bound troops, is being conducted under a U.S. Department of Agriculture license and the careful supervision of veterinarians and a military Animal Care and Use Committee, said Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division.

"It's to teach Army personnel how to manage critically injured patients within the first few hours of their injury," Cheng said of the medical trauma training.

FOXNews.com - Army to Shoot Live Pigs to Save Wounded Soldiers' Lives - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

I dunno about you, but this sort of exercise sickens me. It's bad enough they end up as bacon but I don't see the value in using live animals for this.

Mmm, I don't like the sound of that myself.
Pigs are probably the closest thing you can get to a human in terms of physiology, but I see no reason why the injuries couldn't be simulated on some sort of manikin.

While it is hard to swallow I do understand why they feel it might help in the field.

I hate seeing any animal put through unnecessary pain, I just hope every effort is made to make the pain as minimal and short as possible.

Wouldn't it be better to use humans instead?
After all, they won't be treating pigs in Iraq.
The training would be much more effective if they just shot up a bunch of humans and had doctors standing by. (You know... to make sure everything's OK)

Just another excuse for people to be complete total assholes, IMO. :evil:

Originally Posted by Zap

Wouldn't it be better to use humans instead?

It would. I suspect they might have problems finding volunteers!

Originally Posted by CountryBoy

It would. I suspect they might have problems finding volunteers!

Didn't stop them from using pigs.

Come on, I have seen soldiers pop deer, hogs and bears in training. It was a great meal each time. As soldiers mature in training they will not take MRE's they will pack spices instead and shoot animals if giving a chance.

Eh, they still do it with chickens at times Nice cooking there.

Originally Posted by MakeMoneyOnline

Come on, I have seen soldiers pop deer, hogs and bears in training. It was a great meal each time. As soldiers mature in training they will not take MRE's they will pack spices instead and shoot animals if giving a chance.

Not the same thing. We're talking about blowing bits off animals just to practice putting them back together - not for food. I don't have a problem with soldiers killing animals for meat to eat if the circumstances of their training dictate that.