Weights, medicine balls and other common exercise gear are being studied at Fort Carson this month as a way to test future soldiers on their fitness for combat.
It's part of an Army initiative that seeks to open all combat jobs to women by 2016. But the research will set standards for men, too.
"It's about the person next to you and whether they can do the job," Spc. Jessie Kirchner said as he went through drills under the watchful eyes of researchers from the Army's Research Institute for Environmental Medicine last week.
By fall, the Army hopes to have a full report on what strength is required for combat tasks - a report that can be used to weed out men and women who don't fit the bill before they enlist.
"It's for all individuals who want to join the Army," said Edward Zambraski, who heads the institute's studies on military performance.
The Army has spent two years researching the physical requirements of combat jobs to clear the way for women on the front lines.
Maj. Alison Hamilton said the goal is to create guidelines that are blind to gender.
The study started with analyzing what soldiers do in combat, from hefting 155 mm artillery rounds to taking long marches with full equipment.
The researchers broke down the tasks and measured soldiers, including hundreds at Fort Carson, to come up with a measure of physical requirements. Now, research has turned to look at how to measure a soldier's ability for those combat roles by using equipment that's available at any gym.
"It's an easy-to-administer, low-cost test we can implement in the training pipeline," said Hamilton, a planning officer for the institute.
The method would allow soldiers to take the tests before they enter basic training to screen them for Army jobs. Zambraski said that screening process could save the Army time and piles of money.
The Army spends millions of dollars every year on medical care and disability payments for soldiers who are not physically capable of holding combat jobs. The screening tool would put those troops in less demanding work, Zambraski said.
Hamilton said the Army uses carefully crafted multiple choice tests to match mental capabilities of recruits with military jobs but hasn't paid the same attention to the physical qualities of those who enlist.
"This is hopefully another tool that will help us be better managers of human capital," Hamilton said.
Driving the study, though, is a Pentagon mandate to incorporate women into traditional combat roles, including infantry, artillery, combat engineers and special forces.
Kirchner, an artillery observer, said he's ready to serve alongside women.
"If they can do the job, I'm all for it," he said.
The Army has women in some traditionally male jobs, including Fort Carson 1st Lt. Kate Murphy, an artillery officer in the post's 4th Brigade Combat Team.
Murphy said she wanted to see how she measures up against the male soldiers who serve under her command, so she joined the study.
"It's good for me, as an officer, to see the strength behind the job," she said.
Female officers have been allowed into front-line artillery jobs for two years, and Murphy said she was initially warned about breaking into the male-dominated field.
But attitudes are quickly changing in the Army, and Murphy said she loves her job.
"I really like field artillery. I really definitely want to stay," she said.
The Arizona native proved to Army researchers she has the strength for it, outperforming her male comrades on many tasks. Murphy said that's something she can use to lead her troops - men and women.
"If I did it, then you guys can certainly do it," she said.
©2015 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Visit The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at www.gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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