Army to shoot live pigs for medical drill

[waterrescuedude2000]

HONOLULU - The Army says it's critical to saving the lives of wounded soldiers. Animal-rights activists call the training cruel and outdated.
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Despite opposition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the Army is moving forward with its plan to shoot live pigs and treat their gunshot wounds in a medical trauma exercise Friday at Schofield Barracks for soldiers headed to Iraq.

Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25th Infantry Division, said the training 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.

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

The soldiers are learning emergency lifesaving skills needed on the battlefield when there are no medics, doctors or facility nearby, he said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080718/ap_on_re_us/army_pigs


Come on if the pig happens to die then well we can give him a proper send off after he has donated his bacon to humanity!! These pigs are providing valuable training to our troops I :salute: them

[Hobbit]

Personally, I'd rather be shot and treated by Army doctors in an effort save lives than have my entire existence add up to bacon. Mmmm.....bacon. *snap* Anyway, PETA's against both and they don't care about people anyway, so who cares what they think?

[Gaffer]

If peta's so set against it they need to provide volunteers to be shot and treated. everybody wins then, except the pigs which will be bacon anyway.

[Noir]

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

The soldiers are learning emergency lifesaving skills needed on the battlefield when there are no medics, doctors or facility nearby, he said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080718/ap_on_re_us/army_pigs



Can i just ask how medics learn these lifesaving skillz? Do they also use shoot pigs?

[namvet]

so they have bacon for breakfast

[Hobbit]

Can i just ask how medics learn these lifesaving skillz? Do they also use shoot pigs?

No, they learn during apprenticeship and from cadavers. However, gunshot wounds aren't half as common in civilian hospitals as they are in combat zones, and there aren't enough cadavers to train them all, nor is it viable to have them just shadow another medic.

[Gaffer]

Can i just ask how medics learn these lifesaving skillz? Do they also use shoot pigs?

They go through medical training like everyone else. Treating gunshot wounds is unique though. Pigs are very similar to humans in body parts so they are excellent for practicing on.

While the medics primary job is to treat the wounded they are also combat trained and take part in the fighting if there are no casualties. They are the most respected and looked after members of any platoon.

[5stringJeff]

They also use goats.

[crin63]

Surgical training in the evening, bacon for breakfast in the morning. I like it.

[Noir]

While i don't really agree with it if they have no other option then i guess it must be done, however, if there was another method of training i would far rather it was used.