ABSTRACT

The current battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq require a highly mobile ground force that faces increasing challenges in diverse environments . The equipment that soldiers use or wear can be an important determinant of their success in completing a mission and their survival. It is the mission of the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to maximize the

. soldier's survivability, sustainability, mobility, combat effectiveness and quality of life by treating the soldier as a system. It is the mission of the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) to conduct biomedical research to improve and sustain soldiers ' health and perfonnance under all conditions . Our combined mission requires us to develop and evaluate equipment and nutritional strategies designed to protect, assist, or improve soldiers ' welfare, performance, and completion of required tasks. We at NSRDEC and USAR1EM are using a

comprehensive, integrated, and collaborative approach to accomplish our mission. This entail s working together to assess the biomechanical, physiological, cognitive, and physical performance of the soldier. Our approach is detailed in this paper, using as an example a recently completcd study evaluating the effects of load configurations on soldiers ' performance. This paper lays out the set of comprehensive evaluation strategies that we have used to address the soldier as a system.