Topic: First week in the IDF

[Mooning Freddy]

I Figured it would be unfair to return from my first week in the army without letting you know how it has been.
I have recruited in the recruitment location in Jerusalem, on the Ammunition Hill, a historical site and museum located on the place of the bloodiest battle in the liberation of Jerusalem (during the 6-day war of 1967). We were shown a short movie with evidences about the battles for the reunification of Jerusalem, and then sent on the bus for the main recruitment base, Tel ha-Shomer. There, we passed several recruitment stages and in the end received uniform.
We spent the night there, and then whoever wanted was sent to Latrun forest, where for two days we were tested whether we fitted into some sort of special infantry brigade. I was not accepted, but I did not wish to in the first place, I only went there for fun. And we had some fun, even though it was a bit tough. We were taught how to dismantle and assemble a MAG machine gun and a communication device. We also had to carry a huge tent, and the commander was pissed every time we dropped it and forced us to do it all over again a shitload of times. Then we had some time to build the tent in the wood. Also, we had this assignment where the whole platoon had to cross a "mine field" using only 2 wood logs and 2 barrels.
Overall, it was fun, though some parts of it were annoying. After we finished the testing, everyone who was not accepted, including me, were put in a bus and sent to a armored-forces basic training base near Eilat. I was accepted into Brigade 401, the tank brigade that uses the Merkava mk4 tank, today one of the most advanced tanks in the world, also in a few months our brigade is supposed to receive the upgraded version, Merkava Mk4B. With GPS, air-conditioning and other features, its basically really advanced and comfortable for the crew. Nevertheless, it's still scary as one of our commanders told us that at the same day a tank crew member was heavily injured during advanced training in the area. 
As for the guys in my base, they're really different and varied, which is really cool. They come from big cities as well as towns and villages. Religious and non-religious. Ashkenazi and and Eastern Jews. In my team (room) there are two or three Eastern Jews, an Ashkenazi guy, a religious guy, a Russian guy like me, and one Druze . So it's fun most of the time, and it's all about being optimistic and helping each other.

[Gunlord]

In Reply To #1


Cool

Continue to keep us posted on your military training, Freddy! Whenever you can, of course ^^ This is a pretty interesting snapshot into military life in general and the situation in Israel in particular

[Thaddeus]

The IDF seem to treat their people right lol.. During our training we weren't allowed so much as a walkman, much less computer access.

Magazines, newspapers, things of this nature were strictly off limits. And MAYBE after total control (that's the initial, roughest part of American soldier basic) we were allowed some reading material. Even then, we were limited to what we could read. We were a high speed/high stress unit. The company across from us (Alpha Company) was high speed/low stress and they got to watch movies in the d-fac (mostly feel-good war movies like Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, etc.).

The only time I ever watched TV at Fort Benning was when I had staff duty, and depending on the staff duty NCO... Sometimes if it were late at night he would let us watch Fox News (LOL).

Those were good times. I wish I could go through it again, but it wouldn't be the same.

Savor every moment of it, dude.

[Mooning Freddy]

In Reply To #3

Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell one thing. Guess what we have in our company's toilets. That's right.
There's "secret" Intelligence information posters about the weaponry of the armies of Syria and Lebanon. Which means you could learn something about armed forces to the North of Israel while you sh*t.
From next week though, I could only return home for Saturday once in two weeks, and the base is more then 300 Km away, that's around 6 hours of travel by bus. Still, that's better than the poor American and European soldiers serving in the Middle East. 

[Dark Nemesis]

These are good news Freddy! I'm happy that you are haning fun at the army, even if you are at tanks who they are diffucalt.

[Mooning Freddy]

After three weeks of basic training...

Well, what can I say? The commanders are bitches, my hands are scratched beyond belief, my whole body hurts, I ate shit in every meaning possible, did more pushups in one day then in my whole life.
Yet, I learned so much in those two weeks of military discipline, responsibility, and every single thing about the weapon the army provided me with- a shortened M-16 rifle. I did so many shooting ranges I simply cannot count, ate sand for breakfast, lunch and supper (the basic training base is in the desert) and found out that unlike the recruit commanders, the officers are really great people who care for their soldiers more than anyone else. Even though I'm in the armored forces, the training I'm doing is like infantry training, only shorter, because the army decided tank-fighters need more physical strength to be less of lazy bastards. All in all, the training is difficult, but not unbearable, and most of the pressure is psychological: being away from home for long periods and dealing with the harsh discipline.
The commanders are bitches, that I already said. If you are not used to an ugly, wimpy commander with glasses, hardly two years older then you, that in a civilian setting would get his ass beaten, shouting at you and giving you commands, then you should think twice about what the army is like.
There is no "I don't want to" or "I can't" in basic training. Forget it. You will follow any command, no matter how foolish or annoying it is, or will be punished. Unless it is physically impossible, you do it. Get used to sleeping 6 hours a day, and getting up for guard in the middle of the night. Forget about hygiene. It doesn't exist in the army. If no part of your body hurts, it will, soon enough. Get used to carrying your weapon anywhere. You aren't allowed to leave it for a second, or you'll be punished. You eat with it, you sleep on it, heck, you almost have sex with it.
All in all, it's hard. Not everyone can go through it. Maybe everyone should, though. Sets your priorities straight. You know what I'm talking about.

[Thaddeus]

After three weeks of basic training...

Well, what can I say? The commanders are bitches, my hands are scratched beyond belief, my whole body hurts, I ate shit in every meaning possible, did more pushups in one day then in my whole life.
Yet, I learned so much in those two weeks of military discipline, responsibility, and every single thing about the weapon the army provided me with- a shortened M-16 rifle. I did so many shooting ranges I simply cannot count, ate sand for breakfast, lunch and supper (the basic training base is in the desert) and found out that unlike the recruit commanders, the officers are really great people who care for their soldiers more than anyone else. Even though I'm in the armored forces, the training I'm doing is like infantry training, only shorter, because the army decided tank-fighters need more physical strength to be less of lazy bastards. All in all, the training is difficult, but not unbearable, and most of the pressure is psychological: being away from home for long periods and dealing with the harsh discipline.
The commanders are bitches, that I already said. If you are not used to an ugly, wimpy commander with glasses, hardly two years older then you, that in a civilian setting would get his ass beaten, shouting at you and giving you commands, then you should think twice about what the army is like.
There is no "I don't want to" or "I can't" in basic training. Forget it. You will follow any command, no matter how foolish or annoying it is, or will be punished. Unless it is physically impossible, you do it. Get used to sleeping 6 hours a day, and getting up for guard in the middle of the night. Forget about hygiene. It doesn't exist in the army. If no part of your body hurts, it will, soon enough. Get used to carrying your weapon anywhere. You aren't allowed to leave it for a second, or you'll be punished. You eat with it, you sleep on it, heck, you almost have sex with it.
All in all, it's hard. Not everyone can go through it. Maybe everyone should, though. Sets your priorities straight. You know what I'm talking about.

I hope you weren't online from a company computer when you wrote that, or else they may get wind of the websites privates are frequenting and fact someone called them bitches LOL...

If they're as security-conscious as the American Army they may monitor all communications made by new recruits.

Do they try and catch you off guard and snatch your weapon way they do in American basic? Guard that weapon with your life. Never let it out of arm's length.

Also, be careful about what you say in the barracks. Our barracks were bugged and the drill sgt's listened in on a lot of what was said. They knew who talked shit and who needed "special treatment."

And yeah, pulling fireguard sucks more than anything. As you've come to learn sleep is so precious in training.

[Mooning Freddy]

If they're as security-conscious as the American Army they may monitor all communications made by new recruits.

No, I'm typing this from my personal computer at home. Yeah, of course there are rumors (urban legends?) here in Israel as well that the SHABAQ (Israeli secret police) monitors network computers for people who expose secret information on the internet. I don't think they have time though to catch any soldier who calls his commander a bitch, lol.
In fact, one of my-team mates got pissed off on one of the commanders, and muttered "suck my dick" at him. He got away with just a warning.

Do they try and catch you off guard and snatch your weapon way they do in American basic? Guard that weapon with your life. Never let it out of arm's length.

No shit! They do that in American army too? In my base, if you leave your weapon in your room, and got caught outside without it, the commander goes all "WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUR WEAPON?!", And then you receive a punishment for abandoning the weapon. Also, there have been rumors (jokes?) that the commander may come to your room at night and snatch the rifle from under your pillow.

Soldier: Hey... hey, what the fuck? What the heck are you doing? *grabs the rifle*
Commander: Shut the fuck up and let go!
Soldier: No way! What are you doing?!
Commander: recruit! I said let go now so I could steal your weapon!