US military to stop shooting pigs and goats as a way to train medics for the battlefield

U.S. Military Ends Live Animal Training for Combat Medics

The U.S. military has announced it will discontinue the controversial practice of shooting pigs and goats to prepare medics for treating wounded troops in combat zones. The change comes as part of this year’s annual defense bill, which prohibits “live fire” training involving animals, a practice now considered outdated due to advances in simulation technology.

The ban was championed by Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican and co-chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, who has consistently advocated for animal rights issues throughout his career.

“This represents a major step forward in reducing unnecessary suffering in military practices,” Buchanan said in a statement. “With today’s advanced simulation technology, we can prepare our medics for the battlefield while reducing harm to animals.”

Despite this significant change, the Defense Department will continue to allow certain forms of animal training, including exercises that involve stabbing, burning and using blunt instruments. The military will also continue “weapon wounding,” which tests weapons on animals. According to animal rights groups, protocols require these animals to be anesthetized during such procedures.

The Defense Health Agency, which oversees military medical training, emphasized its commitment to phasing out animal models without compromising the quality of combat medical training.

“The establishment of the Defense Medical Modeling and Simulation Office demonstrates our dedication to developing realistic training scenarios that ensure medical providers are well-prepared to care for the combat-wounded,” the agency stated on Friday.

Animal rights organizations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have hailed the decision as a historic victory. PETA noted that the change will spare thousands of animals annually while transitioning to “state-of-the-art, human-relevant simulation technology.”

The exact scale of animal use in military training has been difficult to quantify. According to a 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, previous defense bills have gradually sought to reduce animal use in trauma training. The 2013 defense bill required the Pentagon to outline a strategy for transitioning to human-based training methods, while a 2018 statute mandated that the military use simulation technology “to the maximum extent practicable” unless deemed necessary by medical commanders.

The GAO report explained that animals used in these exercises are placed under anesthesia before being euthanized. “Live animals such as pigs and goats are used in trauma training because their organs and tissues are similar to humans, they have biological variation that can complicate treatment and provide opportunities to control medical conditions,” the report stated.

However, medical groups like the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have long argued that anesthetized animals do little to prepare medics for real battlefield scenarios. They advocate for modern alternatives such as human-worn “cut suits” that more accurately simulate treating wounded service members.

“The big argument is this is a living, breathing thing that they have to take care of and there’s this level of realism,” explained Erin Griffith, a retired Navy doctor and member of the physicians committee. “But replicating what it’s like when their buddy is shot and bleeding and awake is very different.”

The shift away from live animal training reflects broader changes in military medical preparation as technology advances. Modern medical simulators can now replicate human physiological responses, bleeding patterns, and even emotional reactions that medics would encounter in actual combat scenarios.

This policy change aligns with evolving standards in medical education and training across other sectors, where simulation-based learning has increasingly replaced animal models. Military medical experts suggest the transition may actually enhance combat readiness by providing more consistent, repeatable training scenarios that more closely match human anatomy and battlefield conditions.