The U.S. military has declared war on animals by burning, stabbing, and shooting them in unnecessary training exercises, and it's time to fight back! Animals need you to enlist in the army of animal lovers willing to speak out against these cruel exercises. If you go above and beyond the call of duty for this mission, you'll be in with a great chance to win an iPod shuffle.

Enlist Now
Join the battle for animals by signing our Facebook petition to end military trauma training on animals.

Recruit Your Friends
Click "Ask Friends to Sign" on the petition page to recruit your friends to this cause. The more invites you send out, the more people you will recruit. Tell them how live pigs are shot, stabbed, and burned; live goats have their legs broken with bolt cutters and cut off with shears; and live monkeys are poisoned with harmful chemicals.

Go Home Victorious
The individual who collects the most petition signatures by September 10, 2009 wins the iPod Shuffle. We'll announce the winner on September 14, 2009.

Share the petition on your Facebook wall and everywhere else you can. The harder you fight, the larger the impact you'll make, and the greater the chance is that you'll go home with an iPod in hand.

Please take action today for all the monkeys, pigs, sheep, and other nonhuman victims killed in military training. Humane, responsible training is essential in our effort to work toward a peaceful world. Learn more about this campaign at PETA.org/trauma.

Heads up: By entering the contest you're acknowledging that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

Good luck, soldier!

Just like the Beach Boys, we wish they all could be California girls—because California girls put on one heck of a protest! Check out these Left Coast ladies in action outside Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California:

Credit also goes to the California boys who attended the protest, including Scott Adams, a retired paramedic who used to teach trauma training courses (without using animals, of course). As he told a reporter for North County Times, "If I hadn't taught trauma, I probably wouldn't have formed such a strong opinion. They could use human cadavers; that would more closely mimic what they're trying to teach."

If you want to see for yourself what the protesters are up in arms about, check out the graphic photos that PETA has obtained of pigs who were stabbed, mutilated, and killed by Deployment Medicine International, the military contractor that conducts trauma training exercises for Camp Pendleton. After viewing the photos, please send an e-mail urging the government to stop stabbing and shooting animals and start using non-animal alternatives in all trauma training exercises.

Posted by Alisa Mullins

Through the Freedom of Information Act, the Physician's Committeee for Responsible Medicine (PRCM) has obtained video footage of several Department of Defense military trauma training exercises.

In training exercises that are supposed to simulate the effects of a nerve agent attack, monkeys experience seizures and difficulty breathing. In another exercise, live goats are cut open—causing severe bleeding—while the instructor repeatedly acknowledges the differences between the training and human casualties. All this suffering is inflicted in order to train military medics—who would learn more if they were provided with state-of-the-art simulators and rotations in trauma hospitals.

We have been working hard to eliminate these cruel exercises in the U.S. and in countries around the globe. After PETA campaigned against cruel dog stabbings, Bolivia banned all animal use from military training. Now, Georgia Congressmember Hank Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is calling on the Army to phase out antiquated trauma training on animals.

Urge your congressperson to co-sign Congressmember Hank Johnson's letter and help put an end to the military's war on animals.

Posted by Karin Bennett

After less than a month of PETA campaigning, the Bolivian minister of defense went on that country's national television to announce an historic ban on all animal abuse in military training exercises, stating that the Bolivian government is issuing Resolution 217 to prohibit all acts of violence, exploitation, and mistreatment that provokes the death of animals. Not only has Bolivia beaten the U.S. military to the punch, this ban is also Bolivia's first military animal protection regulation ever.

This news comes as a direct result of PETA's and PETA Germany's campaigns, which were launched after horrific video footage was uncovered showing the Bolivian military's mutilation and killing of dogs in combat-training exercises. More than 20,000 supporters joined in the effort, including a leading Bolivian congresswoman, Ximena Flores Castro, who talked with PETA and then met with the defense minister in order to get the resolution on the books.

Resolution 217 puts an end to military training exercises in which dogs were mercilessly stabbed to death as they screamed in pain. Not one more animal—dog or otherwise—will have to suffer such a miserable fate at the hands of the Bolivian military. The resolution also includes sanctions for those who violate the regulation.

This is a giant step in the right direction for Bolivia, and we hope to continue working closely with government officials to enact more animal protection laws.

Everyone who spoke out against this cruelty deserves a big pat on the back! Let's keep up the momentum and urge the U.S. military to follow Bolivia's compassionate lead.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

Over the past 16 months, PETA has waged a relentless campaign to end the military's archaic trauma-training exercises. In these exercises, thousands of live goats and pigs are shot, stabbed, cut apart, and burned, and monkeys are poisoned with nerve chemicals. We called on the Department of Defense (DoD) to investigate the military's methods immediately, and they appear to be taking our request seriously.

The DoD has chartered a Joint Analysis Team (JAT) to "examine the use of animals for medical education and training across the Services." The JAT will also submit a report containing "actionable recommendations" for the DoD to follow.

DoD regulations specifically state that non-animal methods must be used whenever scientifically valid and comparable alternatives are available. The DoD's use of live animals in trauma-training exercises is unnecessary. Various installations in the Air Force and Navy have been using alternatives, such as high-tech human patient simulators and rotations in trauma hospitals, for several years. Additionally, these second-rate training methods put our soldiers at risk.

We're hopeful that the JAT will come to the obvious conclusion that the DoD should end these cruel tests immediately and opt for more humane, educational alternatives. Check out the letter we sent to them about this issue here, and leave a comment to let us know what you think.

Posted by Liz Graffeo

In case it's never been said before, I'm going to go ahead and say it: Colorado activists rock!

Activists in Colorado Springs showed that they are fed up with Fort Carson for stabbing and reportedly burning and shooting live goats in bloody trauma-training exercises that attempt to mimic human battlefield injuries. They staked out a busy intersection near Fort Carson and got busy alerting commuters that the exercises are not only cruel but also archaic and unnecessary.

PETA "troops" expose Fort Carson's dirty little secret.

An activist makes darn sure that no driver gets by without getting the message.

PETA signs caught the attention of many military folk on their way to the Fort Carson base.

Oh, did I mention that some of the activists in attendance were ex-military? You know that things are shady when even former soldiers start breaking rank. (I can think of a few other soldiers who would probably agree.)

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

When we first announced our plan to find the "Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier," we meant to end up with just one winner. But how could we come up with just one winner when there are five branches of the military that are equally deserving—and equally sexy?

That's why we've selected one winner each from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, and Air Force. Of course, we did promise to find the single Sexiest Vegetarian Soldier, so, as much as it pains us, we did have to choose one overall winner—and here he is!

Overall Winner: Erich Allen, Warrant Officer Class 1, representing the U.S. Army

Syracuse-born Erich Allen joined the Army in 2001 and is currently stationed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he is attending flight school and earning his degree in History from Columbia College of Missouri. And where does this busy soldier find all his energy? From his vegetarian diet!

"Since I stopped eating meat, I have noticed an increase in my energy and I am able to better control my weight," Erich says. And as for anyone who hasn't yet figured out that the strongest animals on the planet—stallions, elephants, and bulls—are vegetarian, Erich is glad to serve as evidence of the human species' prowess!

And not only is Erich "Army strong," he's also compassionate—his own doggie companion, Vienna, was a stray whom Erich took in and made part of the family. Put that together with his ability to speak German and some Russian as well as his love of the "great outdoors," and you've got somebody who's strong, sweet, smart, and sporty—now that's sexy!

But wait—there's more! Check out the winners from the other branches of the military:

Katie Adams, Petty Officer Third Class, representing the U.S. Coast Guard

Lovely Katie, pictured here, is stationed in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. She has been a vegetarian ever since she watched a documentary on, as she says, "how they torture animals" before killing them for human consumption, and it made her "totally disgusted." On the other hand, she thinks that being a vegetarian "is the sexiest thing ever besides fighting for our country."

Bob Lucius, Lieutenant Colonel, representing the U.S. Marine Corps

Bob, who is currently assigned as the Assistant Provost and Dean of Students for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California, recently returned from a three-year assignment as the Naval and Marine Attaché in Hanoi, Vietnam. He has been a vegetarian ever since the life-changing experience of seeing a dog slaughtered for food in a Vietnamese café and now volunteers at the Monterey County SPCA. He was also active in advocating for California's Proposition 2.

Jane Taylor, Lieutenant, representing the U.S. Navy

Jane had been stationed in California, Washington state, and Hawaii before resigning her commission as a Naval Officer in September 2008 to pursue a career in animal rescue—and not just any career! Jane has since set sail on the Steve Irwin as part of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. That's right, Sea Shepherd—the same rockin' folks we all love watching on Whale Wars! Now that's sexy—a 13-year-vegetarian who uses her abilities to go out and actively, physically save those whales.

Gina Lewis, Second Lieutenant, representing the U.S. Air Force

Gina, who is stationed in Hurlburt Field, Florida, has been a vegetarian since the age of six—that's right, six—when she realized that Bambi and his mother were no different from the other animals killed for food. Even though many people told her that she wouldn't be able to maintain her vegetarian lifestyle in the military, Gina not only graduated from boot camp as a Distinguished Honor Graduate—because of her high fitness scores—but also went on to complete four marathons! She is the guardian of two animals (both rescues), has rescued animals at every duty assignment, and hopes to convince the Air Force to switch to leather-free combat boots. And if that weren't enough, she's also a former model—how could anyone argue with this kind of sexy?

Congratulations to our five sexy winners! They will each receive a basket of yummy vegan goodies, as well as a PETA T-shirt—so, ya know, the next time someone dares to doubt their vegetarian sexiness, they'll be able to say, "See this T-shirt? I happen to be the sexiest vegetarian in the whole [insert military branch]. So there!"

Posted by Amanda Schinke

Click the photo to view the slideshow at LAWeekly.com Credit: C.R. Stecyk III

To jog your memory a bit: The desert tortoises had been living in critical habitats located near (and sometimes on) Fort Irwin–owned land. These protected land areas were created in order to provide protection for these reptiles and boost their dwindling population.

Sadly—but certainly not unexpectedly—phase one of the project has reportedly resulted in the deaths of 90 desert tortoises. Even worse, officials expected there to be some loss of life because of the relocation, but they continued with their plans anyway. Officials clearly underestimated the frailty of these animals and the harm that relocation could cause. It's pretty clear that officials failed to consider all potential threats to these tortoises when they factored into their plans the deaths of up to 136 desert tortoises during the entirety of phase one—not the deaths of 90 tortoises during the initial relocation, as has happened.

Early reports indicated that many of the relocated tortoises seemed to be moving in a direction back toward their original home. Unfamiliar surroundings, lack of shelter, and larger animals such as coyotes put these tortoises in great danger right from the get-go.

On a somewhat positive note, army officials have—for the time being—halted plans for further relocation.

Obviously, we at PETA don't believe that any project that causes disruption and stress to a group of animals can be deemed a success. At least now, army officials have no choice but to consider the welfare of these desert tortoises and possibly to show them a bit of the compassion that they should have shown from the start.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

The war in Iraq may be thousands of miles away and across one good-sized ocean, but there's another scuffle going on over desert lands that are closer to home. U.S. soldiers are in a territory dispute with one of the Mohave's oldest inhabitants: California Tortoises.

LA Weekly reports that after years of coexisting with these slow-moving, gentle animals—listed as threatened under federal and state endangered species acts—the U.S. military at Fort Irwin, California, has taken measures to airlift these native tortoises to another section of the Mojave, more than 20 miles from their home.

Click the photo to view the slideshow at LAWeekly.com Credit: C.R. Stecyk III

The tortoises, who in recent decades thrived on the restricted-access lands, are now having to survive on foreign grounds in a much busier, more unstable, and completely unfamiliar environment. Plus, they're now at a greater risk of danger from vehicles, hikers, campers, and mines.

Way back in 1994, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service developed a Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan, which led to the construction of six critical habitat areas—and guess what? One of those habitats consists of much of the land currently occupied by Fort Irwin—and the land Fort Irwin wants.

The reason for relocating these reptiles? Military folks at the southern California training base need more land space to play their war games. Fort Irwin is a Hollywood-built Iraq—it's a perfect replica, complete with actors who portray shepherds, prisoners, lawyers, and any other individuals who stroll the Iraqi streets.

With all the strategizing, simulating, role-playing, and lifesaving training going on—not to mention the bottomless pit of cash the military seems to be harboring—the military should at least take a few moments to teach their soldiers compassion for all living creatures and be able to devise a better plan for the safety of these animals.

In an attempt to halt expansion plans, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a federal lawsuit against the Army and the Bureau of Land Management. This battle is sure to continue, and we'll be on guard.

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky