FORT KNOX, KY. – Anxiety was palpable as Cadets walked up the stairs of the 64-foot rappel tower with sweat rolling down their faces, not just from the heat. The only way back down the tower: rappel. After that they’d attempt the confidence course, another nerve-wracking event.

Cadets Carina Bailly, Catholic University of America, and Majubaoluwa Dapo-Thomas, University of California Riverside, both headed into the day feeling anxious. Bailly was nervous for the rappel tower and Dapo-Thomas for Jacob’s ladder on the confidence course. They both overcame their anxieties because of the support of those around them, battle buddies and Cadre alike. 

“You just have to rely on your men and equipment,” Bailly said. 

When they first arrive at the rappel tower, Cadets receive a safety brief demonstrating how the rappel tower works. 

“Once they showed us how it was working,” she said, “I was super excited.”

In the brief, trust continually is brought up. It’s the key to conquering the rappel tower and confidence course. Cadets must trust themselves and their equipment. Once Bailly did that, her nerves faded away. 

“You have to trust people around you,” she said. 

When they are struggling to do that, there is one Cadre member in particular that Cadets are sent to. Jim Moore, a military science one instructor at Ball State University, has a way of relaxing the scared Cadets. 

“The mechanics of it,” Moore said, “the actions on top and everything, are second nature enough to me that I have that extra confidence that helps them when they’re super scared.”

Moore has been rappelling since 1991. From 1991 to 1993 he taught air assault school. Even though it’s been 32 years since then, he hasn’t forgotten those skills. He makes sure he rappels at least once every year. 

“It’s not one of those things where I went to those schools and got those qualifications and then I just put them in a folder and forgot about them,” he said. 

With almost 35 years of rappelling experience, it may seem obvious that Moore wouldn’t have a fear of heights, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s always had a fear of heights and still does. 

“For 40 years, I’ve been afraid on every climb, parachute jump and rappel I’ve ever done,” he said.

Moore uses his fear to help the Cadets. He relates to them. He tells them it’s OK to be nervous, that they’re actually smart to be. 

“I really do understand when they’re super scared,” he said. “I totally get it because, me too.”

He has two step kids that are in college, same as all the Cadets. When Moore sees someone around his kids’ ages having a problem, he finds it gratifying to help them through it. 

“It’s almost like a Dad moment,” he said. 

Over on Jacob’s Ladder at the confidence course, Dapo-Thomas also relied on the Cadre. She almost made it all the way up the 40-foot ladder, when it became harder for her to reach the next rung on the ladder. 

“I was scared when I got to the top, when my legs couldn’t reach,” she said. 

Dapo-Thomas needed to go up a couple more rungs before she could start her descent in order to pass. She tried to start coming back down before that. If she continued, she wouldn’t pass the obstacle. The safety at the top of the tower wouldn’t allow that.

“Luckily,” she said, “the safety on top did not let me quit and was like, ‘You will go over it.”

And she did. With the help of the Cadre, both Bailly and Dapo-Thomas conquered their fears. The Cadets relinquished control and put their trust in strangers. 

“Everyone around you is trying to get you to the end goal and help you out,” Bailly said. “So, you just have to rely on it.”