(Bolding mine)Army set to injure goats for training
National Humane Society outragedBy TOM ROEDER THE GAZETTE
The Colorado Springs GazetteUSA - A planned training exercise at Fort Carson has drawn fire from animal welfare groups because it involves soldiers injuring an undisclosed number of goats.
Later this month, medics from the 10th Special Forces Group will learn battlefield medical techniques at the post by treating the goats, which will be sedated and then injured to simulate combat wounds, the Army confirmed Tuesday.
The Army is unapologetic about the nature of the training, saying the goats will be sacrificed to save the lives of soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's very important training," said Ben Abel, a spokesman for Army Special Forces Command in Fort Bragg, N.C., which is responsible for the training exercise at Fort Carson.
That's not good enough for the Washington-based Humane Society of the United States, which last week sent a letter of protest to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, calling on him to spare the Fort Carson goats.
"We wouldn't be much of a Humane Society if we didn't oppose the shooting of goats for training purposes," said Martin Stephens, the organization's vice president for animal research issues.
Stephens said his organiza- tion was tipped off to the upcoming training by an informant at the post.
The informant said plans call for pushing at least one goat off a cliff, Stephens said.
Abel declined to provide details of how the goats will be injured.
The Army and animal welfare advocates have been at odds since the 1970s over similar training exercises.
At bases around the country, goats are used to simulate wounded soldiers so medics can hone skills before heading to war.
Medics and doctors have trained using animals throughout Army history.
"The animals are put under general anesthesia, and they are wounded so that our medics can train in a realistic scenario that allows them to get hands-on experiences with live tissue," Abel said.
Abel said the training complies with federal animal cruelty laws.
After the animals are treated by Army medics, they are killed and cremated.
The Army has made concessions in the past, Stephens said, discontinuing similar training using dogs and switching to goats.
Abel characterized the number of goats that will be wounded and eventually killed at Fort Carson this month as "a small amount," but he wouldn't provide a number.
The goat-based training augments a variety of schooling given to Special Forces medics.
The medics also spend time at trauma care hospitals in major cities nationwide to gain experience that they can use on the battlefield, Abel said.
Stephens, a biologist, said there are better ways to learn battlefield medicine.
He said the goats could be spared if the Army went hightech, using electronic simulations to replace the animal training.
"There clearly has to be a better way," Stephens said.
Abel said the goats save human lives.
"If medics didn't get this training, their first interaction with serious wounds would be on the battlefield," he said.
What? Are you Fucking stupid?
From Early Bird:
I wonder what a PETA "researcher" actually does.Colorado Springs Gazette
September 9, 2004
Pg. 1
Goat Lovers Aghast Over Army Plan
Sedating, wounding, then treating animals is good training, spokesman says
By Tom Roeder, The Gazette
Toni Shoop of Colorado Springs was angry with the Army on Wednesday.
She wasn’t mad at the soldiers at Fort Carson, or even fired up about the war in Iraq. She says she’s pro-Army.
Shoop is a goat lover who said she was driven to rage by a planned Special Forces training exercise at Fort Carson that includes soldiers sedating, then wounding and treating injuries on goats.
She called Fort Carson and the Humane Society of the United States in an attempt to stop the training, which the Army said is necessary to save injured soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Officials said by treating the goats, the 10th Special Forces Group medics will learn how to handle the wounds they’ll see on the battlefield.
The goats are treated humanely, said Maj. Rob Gowan, spokesman for Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., which is responsible for training.
The Army has conducted similar training for decades.
Gowan, who said he was getting a lot of inquiries on the goat issue Wednesday, wrote a lengthy e-mail that he’s sending to the angry and the curious explaining how the goats are treated.
For Shoop, who has loved goats since seeing them at the Colorado State Fair as a child, nothing the Army says is likely to be good enough.
“I just think it’s terrible that they are putting a defenseless animal out there and they are shooting at them,” she said.
Gowan said the goats feel no pain.
“The animals are put under general anesthesia and only then are combat wounds replicated,” Gowan wrote in the e-mail.
“It is important to understand that mutilation or torture is not practiced in this important training.”
The goats, which are purchased on a federal contract through an Army vendor, are put to sleep after the training and their remains are cremated for disposal. It’s all in accordance with federal rules, Gowan said.
The animal class augments other schooling for the medics, who also spend time working in hospital emergency rooms as on-the-job training, he said.
No matter the good intentions of the training, goat fans remain upset.
“They are almost like humans,” said Karen Robinson, of Colorado Springs, who raises goats.
“It upsets me so badly. I’ve always been against animals being used like this,” said Rosella Telles, of Colorado Springs, another pro-Army animal lover.
“It’s a waste of time and money and it’s cruel.”
An unscientific Internet poll of Gazette readers favored the goats over the Army training 79-63.
Animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have been asking the Army for years to stop the training.
PETA started a letter-writing campaign Wednesday in a bid to spare the Carson goats.
“We do not believe that the use of animals is ethical or necessary,” said Peter Wood, a PETA researcher who works in Washington D.C.
Gowan, though, said the training will go forward. He said it’s crucial because Green Berets often fight in remote areas where little medical care is available. “This training saves lives.”
