The physical capabilities of soldiers destined for the arms corps are to be scrutinised after the ADF Physical Employment Standards (PES) Project is complete.

Stemming from the ADF Physical Competencies Project, the PES Project has commissioned a new study to identify the exact tasks undertaken by members of the combat corps.

The study aims to address the growing physical injuries and compensation costs as well as provide a body of knowledge that will inform on a broad number of personnel areas, such as recruiting, equipment and training methods.

In the financial year 1997/1998 an estimated 32,000 working days were lost within Defence and a $101 million compensation bill identified because of personal injury.

CA Lt-Gen Peter Cosgrove said the project had implications for Defence and some telling factors had been identified to the Chiefs of Staff Committee last year.

"It showed us that we don't know enough about the physical competencies that are required within the various employment categories in the Army," he said.

"We accepted that and the other services came to similar conclusions. They've made decisions in the past concerning the attributes of the jobs in their various services - as have Army, but not based on the scientific knowledge of what each job entails."

Lt-Gen Cosgrove said that studies would be done into each of the trades but priority would go first to the combat corps where people were typically at greater risk.

"Primarily what we hope to find is what injures our people and how we avoid that. It won't surprise me if the studies start to show us better ways of doing things whereby injury to the soldier is less of a risk," he said.

"It will help knowing operational demands and might come down to continued work on labour-saving devices or equipment and practices."

The CA said the findings of the project may again raise the 'women in combat' debate.

"Whenever we look at work practices, rumours spread like wildfire that this is somehow related to the balance of genders in the Army and the possibility of women expanding into further roles," he said.

"Let me be clear ... it's not about that, it's about knowing what it is that soldiers, regardless of gender have to do in various jobs. On the other matter, I have an open mind.

"From my point of view, we'll see what the job requires first, and think about who can do those jobs later."

Maj Dave Gunning SO2 Personnel Policy, DPers-A, said the Project recognised there were physical and non-physical aspects of employment.

"The outcomes of the study will give a clear picture of the physical aspects and these will be considered with the non-physical aspects before judgments are made," he said.

Requests for tender have gone out for the conduct of the ADF PES Study, with a contract likely to let in August.

By Pte Simone Heyer-Irwin