Chapter 1:15 BCT: Treadwell Tower

Fort Sill, OK August 2003

The first training exercise I remember was rappelling the infamous Treadwell Tower. Named after Medal of Honor recipient, Colonel Jack L. Treadwell, the 40-foot tall wooden wall was meant to test our courage, help us overcome our fears, and work together as a team. 

The tower wasn’t far from Charlie 1-79 so we marched as a platoon over to the training location one morning after chow. I remember it was still a bit foggy out as we arrived at the training area where we were taught how to tie a Swiss seat using a rope. I tried as best I could to pay attention to every detail, but I couldn’t understand the steps for the life of me. Thankfully, one of my Battle Buddies from fourth squad, PVT I***** H***, helped me out. If you’ve never had the opportunity to do any rope tying or creating of a Swiss seat, there’s a lot of rope wrapping around the body, between the legs, and loops and pulls taking place. To this day if my life depended on it I wouldn’t be able to accomplish such a task, but I know from experience it can be an important thing to know in the right situation. 

After about twenty minutes of everyone getting their Swiss seats figured out, we all moved over to the 10-foot training wall to test our equipment and most importantly our courage. PVT H*** and I stuck together on the small wall as we mastered our teamwork and got more comfortable with our equipment. I’ve never been a fan of heights so when it came time to get in line for the 40-foot Treadwell Tower, the anxiety started to kick in a little. Looking up at the wall from the ground wasn’t the nerve-racking part. It was the fear of not trusting in my equipment. The snug seat was uncomfortable, especially in the crotch area, and with every step and movement it seemed to come loose a little more. It was important to make sure everything was nice and tight for the seat to work properly. I watched as others from my platoon climbed the tall ladder on the side of the tower and then one by one rappelled down the tower.