Using Research to Match the Soldier to the Job

摘要

The study consisted of three MPESCAT battery administrations. Phase one--Pre Basic Training evaluation was performed on 980 male and 1000 female new recruits at Ft. Jackson, SC during September and October, 1982. Phase two--Post Basic Training evaluation was a subsample of the original group consisting of 90 males and 110 females. The purpose of Phase two was to examine changes in fitness levels following 7 weeks of basic training. Phase three--Post-Advanced Individual Training evaluation was administered to 470 males and 485 females who were members of the original Phase one group. In order to perform the Phase three testing, the USARIEM Exercise Physiology Division personnel were required to test at four different Army posts simultaneously. The AIT posts included were Ft. Jackson, SC, Ft. Gordon, GA, Ft. Lee, VA and Ft. Sam Houston, TX. During Phase three, a series of performance task were also administered to the same soldiers. These performance tasks were designed to represent the true demands of the MOS categories. The Army Research Institute (ARI) was changed with the collection and analysis of the performance task data. The performance tasks involved lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying and torque tasks. After careful comparison of MEPSCAT battery scores and performance task scores, ARI found the Incremental Dynamic Lift test to be the best test item to use to match individual capacity to the performance of the MOS related job tasks.