The United States military is set to permanently halt a controversial training method that involved shooting live pigs and goats to prepare combat medics for battlefield injuries. This significant policy shift, enacted through the latest annual defence bill, marks the end of a practice deemed outdated by modern simulation technology.
Legislative Push Ends "Live Fire" Trauma Drills
The prohibition, championed by Florida Republican Representative Vern Buchanan, specifically bans "live fire" training exercises on animals. Buchanan, a co-chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, heralded the change as "a major step forward in reducing unnecessary suffering in military practices." In a statement, he argued that today's advanced simulators can effectively prepare medics while sparing animals.
However, the new rules are not a complete ban on all animal use. The Defence Department will continue to permit other wartime training involving animals, including procedures where they are stabbed, burned, or subjected to blunt instruments. "Weapon wounding" tests, where the military evaluates weapons on animals, will also continue. Animal rights groups state that, under current protocols, animals are supposed to be fully anesthetised during such training and testing before being euthanised.
Technology and Ethics Drive Historic Shift
The Pentagon has referred questions on the new policy to the Defence Health Agency, which oversees medical training. The agency confirmed it is reviewing the implications of the ban. Advocacy groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have declared a victory, stating the move will save thousands of animals annually and represents a "historic shift toward state-of-the-art, human-relevant simulation technology."
The exact scale of animal use for this training has been unclear, but efforts to curtail it are not new. A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted that previous defence bills and statutes have long pushed for a transition. For instance, a 2013 bill required the Pentagon to develop a strategy for human-based methods, and a 2018 law mandated the use of simulation technology "to the maximum extent practicable."
Debate Over Realism in Medical Training
Historically, the military justified using animals like pigs and goats because their organ and tissue structures resemble humans', offering biological variation that complicates treatment. The GAO report stated these animals were anesthetised before procedures.
However, critics, including the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, argue that anesthetised animals are poor substitutes for treating conscious, panicked human casualties. They advocate for advanced alternatives like "cut suits" worn by human actors, which can realistically simulate moaning, writhing, and bleeding patients. Retired Navy doctor Erin Griffith, a committee member, emphasised the difference: "Replicating what it’s like when their buddy is shot and bleeding and awake is very different."
This policy change, embedded in the 2025 National Defence Authorisation Act, reflects a growing convergence of ethical considerations and technological advancement in military preparedness.
