Development of a Physical Employment Testing Battery for 12B Combat Engineers

The U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) was tasked by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to develop criterion-based physical requirements for entry into the seven physically demanding combat MOSs, including the 12B Combat Engineers. Researchers from USARIEM completed three studies to develop a valid, safe, and legally defensible physical performance battery to predict a Solder's ability to serve in the MOS. Study 1 involved measuring and identifying the physiological requirements of each of the tasks of the MOS in order to identify a set of criterion tasks encompassing the physical demands of all of the tasks of the MOS. Study 2 involved developing task simulations of the four most physically demanding tasks (casualty evacuation, casualty drag, sandbag carry, and foot march). In the final study, four test batteries were developed to fit a range of needs of the Army. Potential predictor tests included 300 m sprint, 2-min arm ergometer, beep test, medicine ball put, 1-min sit-up, 1-min push-up, standing long jump, and 38 cm upright pull.