Armies Are Trained to Kill People And Break Things...Fast and Hard and In Enemy Territory....And Then Leave!

IDF Ground Forces Long Raised On The Ethos Of Aggressive Maneuvers Deep In Enemy Territory Are Finding It Difficult To Adjust To Static Border Defense

Today, IDF ground forces are having an identity crisis; on one hand, the ability to maneuver in force in enemy territory is still considered essential. On the other, day to day activities require the static defense of the borders against occasional incursions, terrorist activity, and sporadic fire. The major maneuvering brigades are, to use corporate language, overqualified for this task and in any case they must maintain their readiness by nearly constant drilling. Thus were born the so-called “Batash” (Hebrew acronym for security maintenance) brigades. The men and women who staff these brigades are considered combat troops, but they undergo shorter training and are equipped with second-tier weaponry.

In the IDF, which long has had the ethos of the warrior and all the cache that comes with it, this second-class status does not do much for the morale of the critically important Batash brigades, a situation that was bemoaned by the general in charge of this part of the IDF, Brigadier General Amir Ebstein. A complicating factor in this situation is the issue of women soldiers serving in combat roles in the IDF.

The other stuff is interesting too...chicks in fighting units? How is that working out?

posted by CBD at 06:00 PM

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