Warrior Tower Lesson

During the Army's Basic Combat Training not only is the curriculum learned, but you also lean a lot about yourself. While I was in Basic, I learned of a few different fears I wasn't previously aware of, as well as how to over come those and other obstacles. One instance of this I would like to share is lessons I learned on Warrior Tower, which was part of the Confidence Course.

While making my way through the confidence course, I met my match in the form of Warrior Tower. The tower stood roughly 50 feet high where it was required to climb up one side through a series of ropes and incredibly unstable feeling rope ladders, then a swing on another rope across a pit before getting to the other side of the tower where Soldiers were required to rappel the 50 feet of the tower and set their feet back down on solid ground.

I found myself about halfway up the side of this tower when my fear of heights decided to present itself for the first time. I can attest to the fact that being stuck 20 feet in the air with only a rope and your grip to keep you from falling is not the best time for a fear of heights to fiercely present itself, causing you to question your ability to control your bowels. I looked down to secure footing and saw just how high I was, and I froze. Due to quite a bit of yelling from Drill Sergeants and others below me on the rope, I was able to make it to the ledge where I was to move on to the next obstacle on the climb to the top of the tower.

It was there, sitting precariously on the edge of the tower shaking like a leaf barely able to keep my lunch down that I got one of the most meaningful pep talks I have ever had. The Drill Sergeant that was sitting there told me to look at him in an attempt to keep me from looking at the ground. Then he said to me, "Part of being a Soldier is looking your fears int he face, laughing at them, and moving on with the task at hand. The reason why we do this now is so that when you are in a foxhole with people shooting at you, you w ill have the intestinal fortitude to swallow your fear and be able to shoot back."

I sat there for a second astounded at the knowledge presented to me in that short, ten second speech, then decided to use this new-found knowledge to make my way through the rest of the day. From then on through the course, when my anxiety started to get the better of me, I would remember that speech and be able to get done what I needed to. The best part is I am able to apply the concept of that speech into my daily life, even after I am no longer a Soldier.