With the jawbone of an ass
December 19, 2014 8:39 AM   Subscribe

Modern Farmer describes centuries of military love for the humble donkey. Though the U. S. Army officially ended its pack mule program in the 1950s, current soldiers and Marines-- along with the Afghan Army itself -- have trained again to use donkeys and mules in mountainous terrain.

"Sgt. Chad Giles sat on his horse and watched the two 20-year-olds coax and cajole Annie. He urged persistence but admonished against rude language, saying they should talk to her as they would a woman they loved."

The latest Mule Renaissance may have begun in the 1980s, when the company "American Export Group" began buying up large quantities for shipment to Pakistan. “I sometimes wonder if it was a Reagan stimulus package for Tennessee,” said a mujahideen commander.

The U.S. Army has historically favored the larger and stronger mule rather than the donkey; the American Mule Museum offers a "Mules at War" section in its "History of the Mule" fact list.

Although the previously posted Legged Squad Support System Robot may be the creepy future of rough terrain transport, West Point continues to keep the old-fashioned kind of mule as mascots.
posted by Hypatia (8 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Favorited for excellent title.
posted by beagle at 9:05 AM on December 19, 2014


The trek up the mountain to a grassy meadow the Marines call LZ (Landing Zone) Penguin came on the fourth day. The rain of previous days had abated, and only a few clouds shielded the Marines and the animals from bright sunshine.

The Marines and animals trudged for more than three hours and three miles up narrow, rock-strewn trails, a climb of about 1,000 feet in altitude.
No wonder young men join the army. A donkey trip to the top of the world. Passages like this give me as serious case of wanderlust. If only it weren't for the killing and the dying...

And this all reminds me of the ancient Egyptian reverence for the donkey.
posted by clawsoon at 11:03 AM on December 19, 2014


A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. I did not know that until just now.
posted by Fister Roboto at 11:47 AM on December 19, 2014


She called me a noble steed.
posted by Flood at 12:21 PM on December 19, 2014


Down the back of Janie's jeans...
posted by SafetyPirate at 1:54 PM on December 19, 2014


Although the previously posted Legged Squad Support System Robot may be the creepy future yt of rough terrain transport, West Point continues to keep the old-fashioned kind of mule as mascots.

Maybe because they know that the animals are superior to the technology in every conceivable way?
posted by snottydick at 2:02 PM on December 19, 2014


The most amusing speculation I've seen is that the Big Dog program is actually a long,-term plan for replacement for the infantry soldiers in counterinsurgency programs, not the mule.
posted by happyroach at 6:00 PM on December 19, 2014


Thanks for sharing this. As the proud keeper of 3 miniature donkeys, I love reading this kind of stuff. Oh, and it's true their jawbones are hard as hell.
posted by auntie maim at 6:07 PM on December 19, 2014


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