Fantastic read.
I have become absolutely enthralled by the Tigermen/Animalmen lately. This story and your posts confirm the fact that they can train in combat abilities, and other posters talking about their social skills/healthcare skills training makes my days.
Other forum posts have even shown that Tigerpeople* will also grab armour and weapons (random though) and keep them equipped.
This opens up so much potential for a fruitful slave trade in Dwarf Fortress!
If an artificial "fortress" is built outside of you existing dwarf fortress, with a pit designated to keep the tigerpeople in, it would provide a living area to move around outside of your meeting halls and statue gardens.
Stockpiles for food, ideal weapons/armour, and other necessities could be created in this pit. When a tigerperson matures or feels like equipping an item, you can semi-control what is available to them.
Soon these "mini-civilizations" of tigerpeople will have a bounty of breeding, war-equipped adults that (hopefully, I have been unable to test) will eventually be able to hold off sieges.
Dwarves are (though migrant waves make us feel otherwise) a precious resource, and all it takes is an unlucky copper bolt to end a dwarf's working ability.
Why suffer your fortress the painful loss of dwarven life when these sub-dwarven creatures can be sacrificed in their stead. With enough traps and an appropriate number of well-raised and tailored Tigerpeople, your Master-race dwarves can continue to prosper while the raggedly-clad, semi-intelligent jungle men provide the soldiering.
*more politically correct, I suppose