The Air Force Experiments
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PETA has obtained sickening video footage of another series of Taser experiments, which were funded by the Pentagon's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) through the Department of Defense (DoD). The JNLWD commissioned the Air Force Research Laboratory to "evaluate the behavioral effectiveness" of Taser's products at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas.
Here are the chilling details of one Taser experiment on 11 pigs:
Each pig was initially exposed to the output of one of five randomly selected TASER-like devices for 15 seconds. There was a minimum rest period of 45 hours between succeeding exposures .... The initial exposures were accomplished while the pigs were pressing a panel for a food reward. After the second exposure, independent of the devices they were exposed to, the pigs refused to approach the bar and food well. Therefore, the test chamber was reconfigured; the panel press apparatus and food well were replaced with a bowl that contained food. After the third exposure, the pigs refused to approach the food bowl and vigorously resisted entering the test chamber.
A one-second jolt with a Taser has been known to cause excruciating pain. One reporter recounted, "Taking the jolt, my knees gave out and the quick blast felt like it lasted 10 minutes. All I could see was red, and the pain was like an extreme migraine headache and how I imagine a whack in the back with a baseball bat would feel." After being subjected to an intolerable 15 seconds of electric current, it's no wonder that the animals refused to go back into the chamber. Even when they had been cruelly fasted for up to 48 hours, they balked, knowing what would happen to them.
In the protocols, the experimenters documented the following:
- Pigs "vocalized loudly and ran in circles."
- Most pigs "ran in circles. While being tasered, some of the swine jumped, either against the wall or over a wall."
- One pig who was Tasered "was able to jump back and forth over a 2.5-ft wall."
- One pig who was Tasered "was able to jump against the wall and its front hoof reached 6 ft off the ground."
The Air Force Video: Where's the Sound?
PETA was denied video footage of these experiments until our attorney filed a complaint. When we finally received the DVD, it was obvious why the Air Force was reluctant to release it. The animals were shown screaming and convulsing horribly, one after the other; they were deliberately and repeatedly subjected to prolonged electric Taser shocks. But the videotape did not have an audio track, and we've had to file another appeal for the full, unedited version as well as photographs that we know exist.
PETA wrote to the Air Force Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members who approved this pitiless, revolting experiment—which was designated a category 3 experiment ("Pain or distress without analgesia"). We sent them a copy of the DVD so that they could see for themselves what they had approved. We asked them to favor non-animal test methods and refuse to sign off on any other protocols that involve blatant suffering.
Experiments on Animals—Not Good for the Air Force's Reputation
One member of the IACUC, John Ziriax, wrote that this experiment "will be a very high visibility project. This is a feature that has both good and bad consequences. On the good side, done well, this experiment could enhance the reputation of Brooks as a DoD bioeffects research laboratory. On the bad side, anything less than quality work has the potential for doing damage to our collective reputation and our ability to continue doing research with animals."
Take Action
Please write to Dr. James Jauchem, who presided over these experiments. Ask how these crude tests could have passed muster, and explain that they reflect very poorly on Brooks Air Force Base. Politely tell him that this does not qualify as "quality work" and that weapons experiments on animals must cease.
James Jauchem, Ph.D.
AFRL/HEDR
8308 Hawks Rd.
Brooks Air Force Base, TX 78235
james.jauchem@brooks.af.mil
Please also write to:
Col. David Karcher, Director
Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate
3097 Range Rd.
Quantico, VA 22134
