The U.S. military is officially ending one of its more controversial training practices — using live pigs and goats in gunfire-based trauma drills for combat medics.
According to The Associated Press, included in the recently passed 2025 defense bill, the policy change marks a move toward simulation technology and away from animal testing that has long sparked criticism from animal rights activists and some in Congress.
The decision halts military trauma exercises involving live gunfire on animals, though other forms of training involving animals — including stabbing and burning under anesthesia — will continue for now.
Shift Driven by Technological Alternatives and Congress
Leading the charge on this issue was Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican and Co-Chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, who has made animal welfare a consistent part of his legislative agenda.
Buchanan called the move “a major step forward in reducing unnecessary suffering in military practices,” and emphasized that “with today’s advanced simulation technology, we can prepare our medics for the battlefield while reducing harm to animals.”
To be clear, this is not a full halt on animal use in military medicine. The Defense Department will still allow certain forms of training on anesthetized animals, including the controversial use of blunt force, burns, and even “weapon-inflicted wounds.”
Critics Praise Progress, Call for More
This partial measure is being celebrated as progress by advocacy groups like PETA, which lauded the policy as a “historic shift” toward more humane, human-relevant training tools.
How often animals are used in these exercises remains classified, and estimates vary. However, the impact could be significant, with groups saying thousands of animal lives might be spared annually. The Defense Health Agency, which oversees medical training protocols, said it “remains committed to replacement of animal models without compromising the quality of medical training.”
Military Begins Embracing Realistic Simulations
Part of that commitment includes the creation of the Defense Medical Modeling and Simulation Office, which promotes alternatives like wearable “cut suits.” These suits allow trainees to treat human actors who cry out, squirm, and simulate real injury symptoms — arguably a lot more like the chaos of an actual battlefield than an unconscious goat.
Even among military veterans, some support this change. Retired Navy doctor Erin Griffith, now with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, pointed out that saving a human life in combat involves far more than treating tissue — “replicating what it’s like when their buddy is shot and bleeding and awake is very different.”
Long Road of Legislative Pressure Pays Off
Congress hasn’t sat on its hands. A 2013 defense bill pushed the Pentagon to develop a plan for transitioning away from animal training, and in 2018, lawmakers required the military to use simulators “to the maximum extent possible.” The recent GAO report confirmed that pigs and goats had been used because their anatomy closely mimics human organs, adding complexity and unpredictability to emergency training scenarios.
Still, as technology becomes more sophisticated, the argument that only live animals can provide valid medical practice is getting harder to defend — especially when you factor in ethics, optics, and fiscal responsibility.
Not the End of the Debate, But a Notable Shift
This policy change does not eliminate all ethically questionable training methods, but it certainly trims the most gruesome excesses. The military walks a tightrope: prepare troops for the horrors of war while responding to technological advancements and societal shifts in how we treat animals — even in uniform.
For conservatives who prioritize strong defense and humane governance, this evolution strikes a fine balance: keeping battlefield readiness sharp without bowing to performative outrage or hollow virtue signaling.
