Study assesses physical demands for combat arms

In full gear, Sgt. Shawanna Washington moved ammunition, loaded mortar rounds into a gun tube, moved agilely as if under enemy fire, and completed other physically demanding tasks of a Soldier on the battlefield.

Washington completed the tasks as part of the Army's Physical Demands Study. She was among 89 male and 58 female Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division who volunteered to take part in the study at Fort Stewart. Their job was to help the Army develop gender-neutral standards for infantry tasks.

Washington, who served a year-long and a 15-month-long deployment in Iraq, said she wants to be in the infantry. She signed up for the study, she said, to be a part of something bigger than herself and support the Army as it moves forward in opening combat jobs to women.

"I always dreamed of being an infantrywoman. I wanted to see exactly the experience and everything I learn from it while I go through the training," she said, as she prepared to scale a six-foot wall during the testing.

The Physical Demands Study is part of Soldier 2020, the Army's plan to integrate women into previously closed military occupational specialties in infantry, combat engineer, field artillery and armor military occupational specialties.

The Army's Training and Doctrine Command, along with other research institutions, identified 31 common and physically demanding tasks in these military occupational specialties.
Written by  Lisa Ferdinando
Retrieved on 17 March 2014
http://www.army.mil/article/121769/Study_assesses_physical_demands_for_combat_arms/