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Ban the military’s use of live animals in combat training

To: Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon, Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services

Caring for those who protect our freedoms abroad is no small task – that's why it's essential that the U.S. military's medical personnel receive the best medical training available. Unfortunately, the U.S. military is still using live animals for combat trauma training. This leads to barbaric...

Caring for those who protect our freedoms abroad is no small task – that's why it's essential that the U.S. military's medical personnel receive the best medical training available. Unfortunately, the U.S. military is still using live animals for combat trauma training. This leads to barbaric practices like amputating live goats' legs one by one to cause severe hemorrhaging, cutting open pigs' throats to create a surgical airway, and inserting plastic tubes between pigs' ribs to practice medical procedures involving chest cavities.

Not only are these methods cruel to animals – they do not accurately prepare medical personnel to operate on real soldiers. Human-based simulators are the humane, more anatomically-correct alternative to clinical training. Last year, The Battlefield Excellence through Superior Training Practices Act*, which would require only human-based methods for training members of the Armed Forces, was introduced in Congress. The bill must pass the committee that you lead, the Committee on Armed Services, before the House or Senate may approve it. Both as a matter of troop readiness and humane medical practice, we urge you support this important act.

*http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr1417/text

This petition closed on October 15, 2012.

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The U.S. military must modernize its medical teaching methods and phase in the use human-based methods in place of live animals.

Find out more about the alternative medical training procedures here: http://pcrm.org/media/blog/june2012/med-training-pcrm-congress-medical-simulation

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THIS IS CRAP! You have no clue what your talking about. Simulation is NOT the way to go. I have been in Emergency Medicine for over 10 years now and I have worked on "Sim Man" I am also a CPR instructor, those dummies DO NOT have the same effect as someone or something that is actually bleeding out all over and screaming. The Military is trying to train 18 year old kids that have only seen blood on call of duty to remain calm and focus on their mission to save their friends life. I agree...

THIS IS CRAP! You have no clue what your talking about. Simulation is NOT the way to go. I have been in Emergency Medicine for over 10 years now and I have worked on "Sim Man" I am also a CPR instructor, those dummies DO NOT have the same effect as someone or something that is actually bleeding out all over and screaming. The Military is trying to train 18 year old kids that have only seen blood on call of duty to remain calm and focus on their mission to save their friends life. I agree Humans are nasty but if this valuable training saves just one soldier of the US MILITARY or its ALLIES then I say go ahead and do it.

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Seth Schoenfeld

Sal I do VOLUNTEER I have been stuck, probed, and violated during training. Now instead of attempting to pick a fight why don't you join the conversation?

Jessica Mendoza

Hmm, interesting report Seth (http://www.medicalsci.com/files/tccc_hall_live_tissue_training_am_surg_2011.pdf) - thanks for sharing! This study still seems pretty inconclusive. ("This study shows no statistically significant difference in the results obtained from training on live animal models and the TraumaMan . . . [this] helps argue that modern stimulators are reaching parity with, but are not surpassing, live tissue models." I wonder if, at the very least, calling attention to the use of live animals in combat training will result in more studies about the effectiveness of stimulators (which would be a good thing if it can save both the lives of animals and of humans).

I'm in the military and in the medical field and I've heard about using animals for training. Sadly using mannequins doesn't compare and I don't think we can find humans willing to sacrifice their lives for traing purposes. You people say its cruel but its helping us medics save the lives of HUMANS on the battlefield.

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Suzy Baranski

Victoria you are just one of the millions of confused and ignorant people who we have to live with on this planet. There is never any excuse to cause pain and suffering to an innocent living being, never ever!

Clint Lenard

I love how people use "God" to justify the killing of "God's" creatures. How ironic. Pretty stupid argument..."god sees into the hearts of men." Lol OK!

very wrong to kill...let animals freedom...YOU ARE MURDER!

I say put your murders, pedophiles and sex offenders in for the military testing! They destroy lives, so I don't have any problem with that! Animals are innocent! Say NO to animal cruelty!
http://synapse-circuit.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.synapsecircuit.com

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Nanette Hazelton

Noelene Williams you r so right. and so are u Adam. i dont understand where the hispanic part comes in. but, i know a wonderful hispanic rescue :)

Molly Winkler

nobody even mentioned Illegals or hispanics before you did Maria...wtf.

We have prisons full of people that could volunteer for these projects. May even teach them some humility and kindness.

Why not start a petition to STOP the Murdering of Innocent Animals in Humane Shelters, and Kill Shelters all over the U.S. and Stop the Breeders. Maybe we can do this Together! As a once famous HERO said..........LETS ROLL!

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Michelle Nichols

did the same thing with my college for animal abuse on animals in thier vet program was kick out of school for speaking out. Oh well the school was crappy anyway and I found a better school that shares my point of view on animals:)

Alice Jacobs

Hi Michelle. How are you & the family doing? Are you still working at the hosp? I think about you & remember the some of the nice & not so nice times, in case mgmt. Mary alice

anyone who knows me knows how much I love animals.. it pains me harshly to see animals of any kind harmed in any way..

They should use lifers & if they died in the process hell the governments saved some money & learnt at the same time

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Danica Mikan

What if he is innocent. Ever watch "Shawshank Redemtion"? Ignorance can be dangerous.
Not just for animals... What if your son or daughter was in trouble? There are millions of innocent people in prison!

Katherine Pearce

Danica Mikan you are so rite!!>>>>>>

In this day and age with our scientific knowledge, it is impossible to justify animal suffering by claiming the animals don't feel the same pain-physically or emotionally as we humans. There are alternatives to such barbaric practices.

Cindy Ream Baker

And if they don't feel the same pain ...what's the point!!!!!!!!! duh....

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