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PETA wants court-martial for Army pig drills

HONOLULU — Animal rights activists are calling on the Army to court-martial soldiers for allowing training exercises involving the shooting of live pigs.

The Army held a medical trauma exercise at Schofield Barracks in July in which soldiers shot live pigs and treated their gunshot wounds.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says soldiers on an institutional animal care and use committee should be disciplined for allowing the exercises to go forward.

PETA says they violated military regulations mandating that alternatives to animals be used when available.

A spokeswoman at the U.S. Army Medical Command could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Army has said the exercise taught soldiers how to manage critically injured patients during the first few hours of injury when medics aren’t around.