Dear Congress Members, U.S. Department Of Defense and U.S. Military Medical Command:

The U.S. Department of Defense annually guns down, blows up, and poisons animals in battleground simulations. The mutilation of thousands of primates, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits and cats is cruel. Moreover, it fails to adequately train soldiers to respond to medical emergencies in the field.

I ask my legislators to back H.R. 4269, a bill that gradually replaces old-fashioned animal experiments with human-focused methods. H.R. 4269, the BEST Practices Act, modernizes military medical corps. I urge the DoD to implement animal-free training for the betterment of both animals and humans.

“No animal model can adequately duplicate the anatomy and physiology of injuries inflicted upon the human body in war,” claims Michael P. Murphy, MD, Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004, 2007) and medical general counsel for Iraq War Veterans Organization. Indeed, practical application is compromised by vast differences between species.

When goats and pigs represent humans in the Amy's Tactical Combat Medical Care course, trainees deal with incompatible variables: Humans have larger limbs and torsos than goats or pigs; their skin is more dense; and human organs, head/neck, ribcage, blood vessels and airway don't resemble those of goats or pigs. Why are soldiers armed with skills irrelevant to human casualties?

Warfare animal drills are also profoundly inhumane. For example, the U.S. Army overdoses Vervet monkeys with the drug physostigmine to mimic nerve gas strikes. Primates suffer seizures, respiratory failure and death. This crude Chemical Casualty Resuscitation Practical Exercise should rely on human- based tools. John Pawlowski, M.D., Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center anesthesia director and Harvard Medical School assistant professor, replicates biological and nerve gas attacks with simulators that copy human symptoms. At medical facilities nationwide, similar systems already prep staff for terrorist-related mass casualty incidents.

The military amputates goats' legs and bombs pigs to teach combat trauma. These barbaric exercises can easily be updated with simulators, human cadavers, and hands-on aid at civilian trauma centers. First responder training can incorporate Laerdal's SimMan, CHI Systems HapMed limb simulator, or other anatomically correct models.

Animal experiments waste time and money. Please sponsor human-centered training with your support of H.R. 4269, the BEST Practices Act. Please prioritize animal-free military training now.

Thank you,

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U.S. DEPT OF DEFENSE & MILITARY MEDICAL RESEARCH CONTACTS
information@whs.mil, MEDCOM.PAO@amedd.army.mil, OTSGWebPublisher@amedd.army.mil, samh.cms@conus.army.mil, acuro@amedd.army.mil, hsrrb@amedd.army.mil, Public_Affairs@arl.army.mil, cdmrp.publicaffairs@amedd.army.mil, Regina.Dugan@darpa.mil, nrl1030@ccs.nrl.navy.mil, mricd.pao@apg.amedd.army.mil, USAMRIIDweb@amedd.army.mil

U.S CITIZENS SHOULD ALSO WRITE TO:
YOUR REP AND SENATORS IN U.S. CONGRESS
Look up his/her contact info: www.votesmart.org

U.S CITIZENS CAN ALSO WRITE TO:
EITHER LEADER BELOW, IF HE IS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IN U.S. CONGRESS
Rep. Ike Skelton [D-MO4], Chair, House Committee On Armed Services
webmail: www.house.gov/skelton/email.shtml
campaign email: news@skeltonforcongress.com

Rep. Howard McKeon [R-CA25], Ranking Member, House Committee On Armed Services
webmail: http://mckeon.house.gov/contact.shtml
campaign email: mckeoncamp@buckmckeon.com

If your U.S. Rep sits on this committee, send comments to him/her.
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U.S. CITIZENS ONLY WRITE YOUR REP AND SENATORS IN U.S. CONGRESS TO FIND THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION, TRY: Project VoteSmart USA House of Representatives USA Senate U.S. CITIZENS ONLY SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY PERSONNEL. IF YOUR ELECTED REP IS BELOW, WRITE HIM TOO. Rep. Ike Skelton [D-MO4], Chair House Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel 2206 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515-2504 ph: 202-225-2876 fax: 202-225-2695 webmail: www.house.gov/skelton/email.shtml campaign email: news@skeltonforcongress.com SOURCE: www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=26936 Rep. Howard McKeon [R-CA25], Ranking Member House Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel 2184 Rayburn House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515-0525 ph: 202-225-1956 fax: 202-226-0683 webmail: www.mckeon.house.gov/contact.shtml campaign email: mckeoncamp@buckmckeon.com SOURCE: www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=26756 US CITIZENS: If your U.S. Rep is in this committee, send comments to him/her. House Committee on Armed Services: www.govtrack.us/congress/committee.xpd?id=HSAS

EVERYONE CAN WRITE TO: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters 1155 Defense Pentagon; Washington, DC 20301-1155 Public Affairs: 703-601-2554 x108 email: information@whs.mil SOURCE: www.whs.mil/contact.cfm U.S. MILITARY MEDICAL & RESEARCH CONTACTS U.S. Army Medical Command Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs Office 1212 Stanley Road, Bldg 124 Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-5004 LTG Eric B. Schoomaker, Surgeon General/Commander Major General Patricia D. Horoho, Deputy Surgeon General Medical Education, Director: 703-681-8036 Public Affairs Office, ph: 210-221-1151; fax: 210-221-1198 email: MEDCOM.PAO@amedd.army.mil, OTSGWebPublisher@amedd.army.mil Customer Service Officer: samh.cms@conus.army.mil SOURCE: www.armymedicine.army.mil/leaders/leaders.html www.redstone.amedd.army.mil/tools/contacts.htm www.armymedicine.army.mil/news/photos/photos-new.cfm www.samhouston.army.mil/feedback.asp www.samhouston.army.mil/cms/contactUs.asp U.S. Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (USAMRMC) 504 Scott Street; Fort Detrick MD 21702-5012 Chief, Animal Care/Use Review: acuro@amedd.army.mil Office of Research Protection: hsrrb@amedd.army.mil U.S. Army Research Laboratory ATTN: RDRL-LOP, 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi, MD 20783-1197 Public Affairs Office: 301-394-3590 email: Public_Affairs@arl.army.mil SOURCE: www.arl.army.mil/www/default.cfm?page=21 Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Department of Defense; ATTN: MCMR-CD 1077 Patchel Street; Fort Detrick, MD 21702-5024 ph: 301-619-7071; fax: 301-619-7796 email: cdmrp.publicaffairs@amedd.army.mil SOURCE: www.cdmrp.army.mil/contact.shtml Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Dr. Regina Dugan, Director, DARPA 3701 North Fairfax Drive; Arlington, VA 22203 ph: 703-696-2400; email: Regina.Dugan@darpa.mil SOURCE: www.darpa.mil/contact.html www.dtsn.darpa.mil/pmdb/search.aspx?mode=office&q=DIRO U.S. Naval Research Laboratory: nrl1030@ccs.nrl.navy.mil Air Force Research Laboratory: www.wpafb.af.mil/main/contactus.asp US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) ph: 410-436-3277; fax: 410-436-1960 email: mricd.pao@apg.amedd.army.mil SOURCE: www.usamricd.apgea.army.mil U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases: USAMRIIDweb@amedd.army.mil SOURCE: www.gulflink.osd.mil/bw_ii/bw_refs/n23en034/index.html

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