FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Spc. Amanda Harneck, cryptologic linguist, 588th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve the participa...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, apache pilot, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, left, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to i...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Sgt. Lucy Odell, patient administration specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve the participant's chances of c...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Spc. Michelle Myers, health care specialist, 10th Combat Support Hospital, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve the participant's chances of completing Ranger School, Oct. 24, 2014. (...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Spc. Lorena Ramirez, automated logistical specialist, 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve th...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Capt. Natasha deLange, legal assistance attorney, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve the participant's chances of com...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Pfc. Ianna Thornquist, health care specialist, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve the partic...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Pfc. Ianna Thornquist, health care specialist, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment, 214th Fires Brigade at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, traverses an obstacle during the Ranger Assessment held at Fort Carson to improve the partic...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Sgt. 1st Class Mari Koontz, S2 physical security, 759th Military Police Battalion, does push-ups during the Ranger Assessment at McKibben Physical Fitness Center, Dec. 21, 2014. Soldiers from across Joint Task Force Carson are p...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Joint Task Force Carson Soldiers take off on 5-mile run during the Ranger Assessment at McKibben Physical Fitness Center, Dec. 21, 2014. Soldiers from across Joint Task Force Carson are participating in a Ranger Assessment to im...

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Soldiers across Joint Task Force Carson hike a 12-mile ruck-march during the Ranger Assessment held on Fort Carson to improve their chances of completing Ranger school, Oct. 23, 2014. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Eric J. Glassey, 4th...

FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Spc. Terrin Baker, health care specialist, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and 1st Lt. Jennifer Meier, battalion supply officer in charge, 43rd Special Troops Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Br...

FORT CARSON, Colo. - Ranger-qualified Soldiers from 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, hosted an assessment Oct. 20-24, 2014, to help fellow Soldiers prepare to succeed at Ranger School.

The assessment included the Ranger Physical Fitness Test, a 12-mile ruck march, land navigation and classroom instruction with topics such as weapons systems, nutrition, conditioning and mental resiliency.

"I think it is a really good experience, especially since a lot of us (have) never done any of this," said Spc. Terrin Baker, health care specialist, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 4th Inf. Div. "Just getting the experience and the opportunity to do this is something we can carry with us for the rest of our careers."

The assessment provided the Soldiers an opportunity to see where they are physically and mentally and learn methods to improve their chances of completing Ranger School should they get the opportunity.

"You have to come here with the mindset of knowing that it will be a difficult week even if it is just an assessment," said 1st Lt. Jennifer Meier, battalion supply officer in charge, 43rd Special Troops Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade. "We've had performance enhancement classes, nutrition classes, and yesterday we were breaking down the M249 and M240B machine guns. All the classes and training will be incredibly useful whether it is in Ranger School or in our Army career afterwards."

One aspect of Ranger School is the mental challenge the Soldiers will have to face. Petra Kowalski, master resiliency trainer and performance expert, Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness Training Center, was on hand to coach the Soldiers on how to improve their performance.

"Everyone knows that a lot of this is at least 50 percent mental, if not more, and that is what I specialize in doing," Kowalski said. "The best analogy I can use is … a professional athlete would go and work with a sports psychology consultant to work on their game -- our full-time job is to do that for the Soldiers of the U.S. Army.

"We have a whole suite of skills to teach the Soldiers, everything from imagery, having an effective mindset and the self-talk -- you know that everybody has 300 to 1,000 words per minute that run through (their) brains," Kowalski said.

"So when you are talking to yourself, we try to leverage what you are saying so that it is effective for you."

The assessment was supported and encouraged at all levels of command on Fort Carson.

"I would like to say that I appreciate the support that the chain of command has provided in this opportunity," Meier said. "My battalion commander, brigade commander and (Commanding General Maj. Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, 4th Inf. Div. and Joint Task Force Carson) have all been very supportive in the effort to provide resources for the (Soldiers) to be successful at this training event."