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Afghanistan

Donkeys help US Marines fight the Taliban in Afghanistan

2009-07-08

US Marines are learning to handle donkeys and mules before heading to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban.

Five Marines are currently stationed at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Centre, a remote training facility in the eastern Sierra Nevada, getting to grips with handling five donkeys and 24 mules.

In a return to tradition, the equines will be used as pack animals in Afghanistan's rugged mountains. Military four-wheel drive vehicles and helicopters are of little use in the inhospitable terrain, where there are few roads and the air is thin.

But the mules and donkeys will make light work of the terrain, and will be employed to help transport ammunition, medical and food supplies with the Marines.

"It's a very primitive way to carry very modern weapons, but it works" said Sgt. Joe Neal, one of the instructors at the training centre.

He told the LA Times: "They all have their own quirks and personalities like any of the Marines you'd work with."

The Marines are learning how to tack up the donkeys and mules, pack their loads and how to lead them.

"They can be pretty stubborn," said one trainee

Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC

#10 "They can be pretty stubborn," said one trainee

Did the trainee speak English or Mule? ;-)

Separately, what an opportunity to engage in trade with the local villagers, and build rapport, muleskinner-to-muleskinner! Perhaps even set up a small facility where the locals can train a second cadre of Marine skinners during down time. Somebody is being very clever with this effort.

Posted by: trailing wife 2009-07-08 18:32

#9 we were doing this up in Bridgeport yrs ago.

Same place, B6. The training never really went away.

Posted by: Pappy 2009-07-08 18:27

#8 Low tech works just as well now than when it was current tech. Mules and donkeys have their own logistical tails, but I've long wondered why they weren't used more in afghanistan, didn't know about the issue mentioned above re the lack of skilled handlers to teach troops.
On a related note, while I do find the "big dogs" robots very, very cool, and certainly a necessary step to ward a much more efficient mid-long temr future development, I still can't help to wonder if this isn't in its present form a very unnecessary re-invention of the wheel... why expensive and ultimately fragile "robot-mules", when you've got real donkeys off the shelves, so to speak.

Posted by: anonymous5089 2009-07-08 17:57

#7 "And mules are NOT animals you can just "wing it" with. There are just some days when they are 100% ornery."

On days that end in "y," 'moose. ;-p

Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-07-08 17:38

#6 if ya go there, be sure and get a burger at Walker Burger down the road. One of the best I've ever had

Posted by: Frank G 2009-07-08 16:43

#5 It would be real interesting to see who would win a stubborn contest, a mule or a Marine. A real nature vs. nurture stubbornness contest.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-07-08 16:31

#4 You mean there are Democrats who support the military?

Posted by: Mike 2009-07-08 16:28

#3 Gotta be careful that the Talibs don't abduct them as 'war brides', too.

Posted by: Mullah Richard 2009-07-08 15:09

#2 They tried introducing mules to the 10th Mountain Division when it was reconstituted at Ft. Drum, but the Army could not find any skilled muleskinners to train the animals.

And mules are NOT animals you can just "wing it" with. There are just some days when they are 100% ornery.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-07-08 14:23

#1 we were doing this up in Bridgeport yrs ago. Some of my Marines went through the mule packers course - I'm sure the mules got sick of new handlers every 6 wks as well. The intent was to use them in N. Korea. That may still happen.

Posted by: Andy Ulusoque aka Broadhead6 2009-07-08 14:05

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