Winter 2025 - 13

wearables may reduce attrition in initial
military training and improve soldier health and
fitness. The NDAA specifically outlined two
specific tasks:
* Initiate a feasibility assessment on the
potential for commercial wearable devices
to capture clean physiological data, and
cognitive function throughout the training
cycle, monitor a trainee's physiological
workload throughout basic training, and
support the sustainment of a healthier force.
* Analyze to determine if commercial
wearable devices will decrease attrition
rates, inform the Holistic Health and
Fitness (H2F) System, and increase the
mental and physical resilience across the
Total Army.
To answer the NDAA, the Army will be
conducting a wearables study at Fort Moore,
GA with Infantry One Station Unit Training in
Spring 2025.
" Infantry OSUT is ideal for this study as we
will have trainees in a controlled environment
for 22 weeks, " said Dr. Andrew Thompson, a
research physiologist for the U.S. Army Center
for Initial Military Training and the study lead.
" This will give us the opportunity to collect
data during multiple points throughout the
training cycle. "
Thompson said trainees in the study will each
be issued a wristwatch to wear throughout the
day, a chest strap to monitor their heart rate
during physical training, and a ring to monitor
their sleep. They will also periodically complete
short surveys as part of a cognitive assessment.
Approximately 50 trainees plus cadre
members are doing a beta test for the study
in late 2024, with more than 1,100 trainees
expected to take part in the study starting in
March 2025.
To synchronize and track the data, study
participants will use the CoachMe+ Warrior
Performance Platform, which was selected
for the study through the Army Applications
Laboratory Special Program Awards for
Required Technology Needs (SPARTN) program.
Thompson stressed that while they will
be using specific wearable devices and the
CoachMe+ platform for the study, the Army is
device and platform-agnostic and focused on
capturing and analyzing the data to help inform
decision-making.
" The primary goal is to deliver to Congress
and Army Senior Leaders scientific data that
depicts warfighter readiness within our most
junior soldiers, " said Thompson. " Maximizing
real-time data enables leaders at echelon to
make better-informed decisions throughout
their training cycles to ensure they are ready
when called. "
Thompson said they plan to use the results
of the study to determine how commercial
wearables might enhance the H2F System's
ability to measure, understand, and
improve Soldier readiness and inform the
formal acquisition process of an H2F Data
Management System.
After the conclusion of the analysis at
Fort Moore, the data will be aggregated and
analyzed at the CIMT level prior to being
provided to Army Senior Leaders.
" We hope that the use of wearable devices,
and the data collected, will provide a higher
level of granularity for the readiness of our
force " , said Capt. Anthony Farmer, lead
operations officer for the study. " We owe it to
not only the people of the United States but to
our service members to invest in technology
that will help soldiers be lethal and survivable
on the battlefield. " n
tacticaltrainingandconditioning.com | 13
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Winter 2025

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