Following a June announcement that combat jobs would open to women, the Army is evaluating standards again. The service is conducting a thorough examination of existing physical-fitness standards, to determine if they are still valid. Under new standards, Army leaders envision perhaps a pre-test scenario in which soldiers can take more time to train for new jobs. “We’re not lowering standards,” said Col. Linda Sheimo, the chief of Command Programs and Policy Division at the Directorate of Military Personnel Management, Army G-1. “We are ensuring that every Soldier knows what the standard is. The reality is that you will have some cases where men will not be able to meet that minimum requirement, they just won’t have the physical capability, and there might be some women that do.” Army leadership will review recommendations based on the evaluation in 2015, and determine which career fields can and cannot be opened to women.
