THE IDF REVISITED

The IDF is commonly seen as one of the most powerful armies in the world due to the fact that there is a compulsory obligation to serve. However, it is actually the Reserves – “miluim”,  in Hebrew, that is the largest and main force in the army.  With yearly training and drills, the IDF’s miluim are prepared and ready for any emergency/war that might spring up around Israel’s borders.  All men, up to the age of 40, (excluding men who served as officers and served until the age of 45) who served in the regular service, regardless of time served, are obliged to turn up for miluim.  Quite a few volunteer to carry on serving until older.

Women who were either combat soldiers, officers, or served in other specific jobs in their regular service also serve in miluim.  All other women who served in the army can do miluim voluntarily.

The average amount of time one spends in miluim each year is between 20-30 days.  This includes fighting, army exercises and actual activities such as  border control and guarding.  However, each unit can change how many days a soldier needs to train each year, depending on demand and activity.

While he is in the Reserves, the soldier receives a salary equal to the one he earns in civilian life, up to 3 months preceding his drafting to  miluim.  In cases where the soldier was unemployed 3 months prior to his draft he will receive the minimum wage.

Nir, my oldest grandson, served in the regular army for four+ years and, after taking an officer’s course, served as an officer  of a special patrol unit  in the Givati regiment. Since then, he has been serving in miluim for sixteen+ years in the same unit. During his  miluim he was promoted  from a team commander of 25 fighter soldiers, to deputy company commander. Although miluim is mandatory Nir, and many others like him, consider it a privilege to continue to serve the State, while protecting its citizens and borders, not to mention succeeding generations.

At the same time, Nir studied building engineering for four years and, while in the process of graduating with a degree, he married and brought three children into the world. To begin one’s studies only at the age of 23 is another Israeli phenomenon.

The commitment, on the one hand, to the importance of sharing the upbringing of his young growing family and, on the other hand, to continue to serve, can be a real dilemma. According to his wife, Clara, who has a very demanding job and works long hours, the absence of Nir for two weeks, a month or more, at least once a year is very hard. Particularly, if it falls at a time when she is in the last month of pregnancy with another two small children to look after. However, Clara feels that the alternative would be unacceptable, since they share the same values of serving one’s country to the maximum – values which they wish to  transmit to their children.

In a very moving ceremony which was part of  the 70 years of the Israeli Independence Day celebrations, Nir was promoted to the rank of major. He was called on to the stage which was beautifully decorated and the emblems were placed on his shoulders, one side by the  brigadier general of the  brigade, and the other by his wife and children. A symbolic action, in respect of  the fact that his family plays a significant part in the progress and development of Nir’s IDF service.

On the 70^th anniversary of Israel, my grandson attained exactly the same rank as his father held when he was murdered by terrorists as a citizen, while on an army mission. Nir’s father, Gideon z”l, a ninth generation Israeli, who loved and served the State all his life.