The U.S. Army is planning to train soldiers by having them shoot live pigs with M16A2 and M4 rifles and then treat the poor animals' wounds. This "training" is taking place at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

Maj. Derrick Cheng, spokesman for the 25^th Infantry Division that is conducting the so called military exercise, claims the US Department of Agriculture has licensed the cruelty.  An Animal Care and Use Committee and veterinarians are watching the slaughter. Like they do when researchers perform experiments and testing on animals under a USDA license.

It does not concern the military that this bizarre, utterly cruel exercise will torture and terrify these intelligent, sensitive animals. The military claims it is necessary to train soldiers for Iraq.

Why not use high tech human simulators such as the Combat Trauma Patient Simulation System; Simulab Corporation's TraumaMan system, and the "living" cadaver perfusion model?  Why not  let soldiers shadow experienced medics in emergency situations?  Wouldn't they really be better trained than from this archaic canned hunt model?

WHAT  YOU CAN DO

Contact the military leaders at Schofield Barracks in  Hawaii and ask them to stop this shooting exercise. It is cruel, terrifying for the animals and there are several other ways to train soldiers to handle medical emergencies. Be polite.  

Col. Matthew T. Margotta
Commander, U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii

IMPC-HI-ZA
851 Wright Avenue, WAAF (Stop 107)
Schofield Barracks, HI  96857

Fax 808-656-3740; Phone 808-656-1153

Also, contact USDA/APHIS, the agency in charge of animal care in situations like this; let them know this is cruel torture, that the military should be required to use other methods to train soldiers.

Cindy Smith, Administrator, APHIS

Dr. Chester A. Gipson, Deputy Administrator for Animal Care, APHIS

USDA/APHIS/AC
4700 River Road, Unit 84
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234

E-mail: ace@aphis.usda.gov
Phone: (301) 734-7833
Fax: (301) 734-4978

Also, email Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer  AgSec@usda.gov and urge him to stop this cruel training exercise.