Army tests whether women can make the cut in combat
FT. STEWART, Ga. -- As soon as 2016, women will be eligible for combat jobs. CBS News has obtained results of a survey by the U.S. Army which found 22 percent of enlisted women are interested.
Mesa says she wanted to take part in the study because "a soldier isn't defined by gender -- a soldier is a soldier."
For one month, Mesa went through the rigors of a simulated battlefield. Scientists recorded her heart rate, endurance levels and exertion through medical monitors and computer programs.
In one simulation, scientists tested her ability to pull an injured soldier out of danger -- 105 pounds of weight through a tank hatch while wearing 70 pounds of combat gear.
"It's been about teamwork," Mesa says when asked how the men in the study have reacted. "Not whether it's a female soldier, not whether it's a male soldier -- it's whether a soldier can complete the task."
"We've known for a long time that these particular jobs are hard on the body, so this study focuses more on what the physical requirements are to do these jobs," says Col. Scott Jackson, a combat brigade commander.
Commanders acknowledge many women won't meet the new standards, but stricter testing will also disqualify some men from jobs they would have gotten automatically in the past.
Jackson says it could be a surprise for some men.
"It's all a matter of the individual, whether it's male or female, what career path they want to take in the military," Mesa says, when asked about women who may question why other women would want combat jobs.
Asked what she's learned about herself by taking part in the study, she replies, "I can do it."
She may get her chance when combat positions open for women in 2016.
