THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411080088
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Tell these kids to jump off a cliff, and they'll do it.
But before they do, they'll respond respectfully, ``yes, sir'' or ``yes, ma'am.''
These are cadets in the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian volunteer auxiliary of the Air Force. Recently, 12 of them, along with six senior members from the Norfolk and Langley CAP squadrons, spent the day climbing a 60-foot rectangular tower at the Little Creek Amphibious Base and jumping off of it.
They came down along a board-covered vertical wall or through a hole, ``the hell hole,'' cut in the platform at the top, supported only by thin ropes held by their cohorts atop the tower and on the ground. Without exception, they were enjoying every minute of it.
Rappelling is what it's called. To rappel is to descend along a vertical or near-vertical surface by sliding down a rope led through a carabiner (a friction-braking device strapped on like a belt that prevents free fall) and use one's hand or hands to control the rate of descent. Hanging on, at least for beginners, for dear life is what's all about.
Mountain climbers do it. It's not unlike bungee jumping, particularly in some of its advanced forms. But rappelling has a more serious purpose: it's a necessary skill for search-and-rescue teams in mountainous terrain.
According to senior member Michelle Myers, it's a training activity, working on team building.
``The kids are afraid until they actually do it,'' she explained. ``Then they're the first ones up to do it again. The hardest thing about rappelling is the stairs (to the top of the tower). They seem to go on forever.''
First Lt. Bill Etheridge put it a little simpler: ``It's a rush.''
The kids seem to agree. Cadet Sgt. Alessandra DiTommaso, 15, made her first descent at the exercise.
``I just didn't look down,'' she said. ``It was a little scary, especially since I was trying to use my brake, and it didn't seem to be working. But I want to go down `the hell hole' now. Dominic (an older brother on active duty in the Navy) will be proud of me.''
For DiTommaso, the Civil Air Patrol is a family affair. A younger sister, Mauriella, 13, also participated in the training. And their mother, Capt. Edith DiTommaso, is Group 5 Cadet Program and Aerospace Officer. Group 5 includes the five CAP units in the Hampton Roads area: four squadrons and the Clarence Ross Element, a squadron-to-be sponsored by the Tuskegee Airmen.
``I got used to it halfway down,'' Cadet Airman Basic Phillip Rhoades said. ``I was nervous when I first stepped up there . . . that's for sure, but now I'm ready to go again.''
The Civil Air Patrol was established in 1941 by Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former mayor of New York City. The patrol is made up of 52 wings: one for each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. A civilian, non-profit organization, it is headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala. It currently has approximately 20,000 cadets and senior members enrolled. Its members perform valuable volunteer service in search-and-rescue, communications, and traffic control. And yes, they do get to fly. Locally, the CAP has two small civil aviation Cessnas.
Capt. K. David Clark, the Norfolk Squadron commander, explained that ``rappelling is an activity in the national regulations. Cadets are required to qualify in it. Cadets not qualified for mountain rescue are `ground-pounders.' They can participate in search-and-rescue operations in flat terrain, carrying an up-to-50-pound pack in the field.''
There are no ``ground-pounders'' in this group, however. Even some of the parents tried their hands at rappelling. Or, more correctly, their hands and feet and arms and legs. For when one steps off of that tower, it's the whole person that steps off into empty space, a long way off the ground.
Cecilia Corrado is the mother of Nicholas, 12, one of the youngest cadets. They're from Langley, where she's an emergency room nurse and a captain in the Air Force. She's also a captain in CAP and, like her son, after donning the equipment, over the side of the tower she went.
``It was real neat,'' she said. ``Real smooth. Real in-control. At first you don't know what's going to happen next. But no fear. These guys are excellent instructors.''
The instructors are active-duty Navy personnel from the NAS Norfolk Auxiliary Security Force that augments the base police. The senior instructor for this session was Chief John Sullivan, assisted by Petty Officers Chris Garcia and David Jones.
The Norfolk Squadron of the CAP meets every Thursday evening at 6:45 p.m. at Piedmont Aviation, 6101 Burton Station Road (the old airport perimeter road) in Norfolk. Persons wishing to learn more about the CAP are welcome. Information also can be obtained by calling the CAP's answering service at 490-4010. Cadets must be 13 years old or have completed sixth grade. They may remain in the program until they are 18 (21 if in college). Should former CAP cadets enter the military, they may receive some credit or advanced placement for their accomplishments while in the program. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Cadet Sgt. Alessandra DiTommaso, 15, rappels down the wall.
by CNB