Afghan donkey named Hughes eases burden for Canadian soldiers

[Old Sweat]

There probably is a time and place for pack animals. I found the following data on animal loads on p. 134 of The Field Service Pocket Book 1914 reprinted with Amendments 1916:

Pack-animals -        Load (pounds)           
Mules and ponies        160 lb.
Pack-horses                200 lb.
Camels                        320 to 400 lb.
Bullocks                      200 lb.
Men                              50 lb.
Donkeys                      100 lb.

Don't forget that in some circumstances food and perhaps water for the animals would have to be carried. If anyone is interested in more data, pm me.

 

[beenthere]

Pack animals. Men 50 lb.  ;D

 

[Yrys]

Pack animals. Men 50 lb.  ;D

Well, we forget it in the day-to-day, but we are animals  ...

Add :

Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: "wise man" or "knowing man") in the family Hominidae (the great apes) 

Mmm, didn't thought we were in the family of "apes", though we were a distinctive branch. Oh, well!

 

[lone bugler]

that's certainly one way of adapting to the Afghanistan enviroment ;D, a great idea too

 

[Armymedic]

Canadian Forces Fun Police here.  Have the following questions / concerns been addressed:

Has the donkey been checked by a vet?
Does the donkey have its shots?
Is the donkey suffering from fleas / ticks / parasites?
Is there a plan in place if the donkey gets sick or injured?
Does the donkey have a tender?
Is the tender filling the role voluntarily?
Does the donkey have a pen?
Is the pen cleaned on a daily basis?
Is the donkey provided with fresh water?
Is the donkey provided with a proper diet?
Is there a plan in place to deal with the donkey once the ROTO is complete?

I take it you never grew up on a farm, nor had donkey/mules as a work animal...

You know what the easiest answer is? Buy the donkey from the farmer for the missions/time you want it...then give it back to him.

As for vet care, any enterprising medical pers can take care of a large animal. The drugs used in vet medicine are mostly the same drugs used on humans. US SF medics do it as a small part of thier training.

There are strict rules about keeping animls as pets for good reasons. Having working animals makes sense.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Canadian Forces Fun Police here.  Have the following questions / concerns been addressed:

Has the donkey been checked by a vet?
Does the donkey have its shots?
Is the donkey suffering from fleas / ticks / parasites?
Is there a plan in place if the donkey gets sick or injured?
Does the donkey have a tender?
Is the tender filling the role voluntarily?
Does the donkey have a pen?
Is the pen cleaned on a daily basis?
Is the donkey provided with fresh water?
Is the donkey provided with a proper diet?
Is there a plan in place to deal with the donkey once the ROTO is complete?

I ask these questions because if a PMed or a DHHAT was to roll into camp, these are the questions that would most likely be asked.  Regardless of where you are, a certain standard of care is required to be maintained.  You buy a donkey in Canada, feed it nothing but IMPs and all its hair falls out, you better believe some questions are going to be asked.  Now I'm sure these guys are taking the best possible care they can provide to this animal, but if the thing gets sick...or makes one of the troops sick...  This is unfortunate because the donkey is filling a role it was bred to perform.  The mascot / pet duties, not so much (and the CF already has policies in place regarding taking in pets overseas).

Problems solved?
Boston Dynamics Big Dog
Big Dog New Video
;D

Now if they could do something about that annoying power pack

 

[blacktriangle]

Maybe we should be looking at buying an unarmoured robotic mule such as the one that was at one point being developed for the FCS program?

It could hold a section's ruck's water and ammo, and probably be best geared towards the non-LAV infantry. It might be a better choice then supporting a living creature, and at least I wouldn't cry it if got blown up. If the price was low enough (doubtful) maybe it could be used for the reserves as well.

Thoughts?

 

[Shamrock]

Stop me if you've heard this one...

New troop leader arrives at the FOB and sees a donkey in a pen.

"What's the donkey for, Warrant?" says the rupert.

"Well, sir..."


The Strats have fielded a few horse qualified soldiers; if memory serves, at least one graduate of SMT was a qualified vet.  It may not be feasible to deploy the troop vet on every roto, he could make an appearance during to odd technical assistance visit to check the rented mule over.

 

[Kirkhill]

popnfresh - the robots seem to be a heck of a long road round for a short cut.

Donkeys, Mules, Ponies and Bullocks are all immediately available, well proven and can be supported off the local economy.  A Battalion Vet with a few assistants and farriers would be a fair exchange for the Platoon of EMEs you would need to support the robots.

Of course the critters don't have that Cool Factor the robots do.

 

[TCBF]

...Of course the critters don't have that Cool Factor the robots do.

- Nor do they fatten the bottom line of the evil multi-national defense contractors!

;D

 

[TCBF]

... Is there a plan in place to deal with the donkey once the ROTO is complete? ...

- BANG!! ....  thud....

 

[PMed]

Yeah, great to see. Carry things, pull things... transmit various life threatening zoonotic diseases. I wonder why people still insist on ignoring the no pets rule that are in numerous regs. 

I know that someone is going to say it is good for morale...etc. Is losing a friend because of a preventable disease also good for morale...

The only time I have seen a death attributable to donkey it involved a 30-year old Dutch woman named Nina, a whip and a 20 Euro cover charge...

But I digress......

 

[rampage800]

Heres a news flash for those questioning the use of a donkey, it works.

Just about every FOB, SP and PSS has a pet as well and the boys need the morale more then they need to be lectured on "regs".

 

[FoverF]

- BANG!! ....  thud....

... sizzle sizzle sizzle... munch munch munch ...

 

[KJK]

My God Man! I had heard that Canadian rations are bad but surely they would be better than mule meat! On the other hand after reading about what some of the US SF troops ate while working with the 'Yards maybe mule wouldn't be so bad after all.  >



Kent

 

[geo]

Mule meat.... Use a tenderizer & season to taste....

Let's face it, They're a mobile commissary

 

[043]

With all due respect MG34... what public health training do you have.  I speak from experience that the US vets... and more than likely of the other contingents after having spoken with them during roto 4, will not provide services to "non-authorized working animals".  As a PMed, I do not make the recommendations on animal control based on a whim.  Should a disease be transmitted to one of your troops, and say this disease mutates that its transmission is now human-human, say respiratory. Your whole platoon, section, coy... etc could be put out of action.

I make recommendations so that the health of your troops is protected so that you can complete your mission. Sick troops are not able to complete the mission. 

Not to sound like a stick in the mud but pets put the mission at risk...

Too late.

 

[Starlight31]

Is this the same mule in MSG from our Rote 0306?? Our Chimo friends took care of her... We would see it every time we would come in for resup.. ??

 

[bannerman]

How appropriate! Presumably this donkey is named after Sir Sam Hughes, the controversial (and quite mad) Minister of Militia before and during the Great War (until he was finally sacked by Sir Robert Borden)?
Hughes is best remembered as the "genius" behind the Ross Rifle fiasco .... truly a "donkey leading lions" if ever there was one...

 

[geo]

No.... Hughes is best remembered for those nifty neat Trench shovel shields

Same said shovels can now be used to Kickstart the Mule on cold mornings >