Israel: August enlistment cycle sees record combat applicants

[JGXL836]

Recent years have witnessed a gradual increase in motivation among Israel (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/unescape(this.href)")'s youth to enlist in combat units, but the current August cycle of new recruits broke all records. In the current cycle, which concluded on Friday, no less than 90.26% of those assigned to combat units asked to be fighters.

During the August 2008 enlistment cycle, just 76.8% of the new recruits ranked their desire to be a combat soldier at 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5. This year, this figure stood at 87.3%.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3935808,00.html

[flanker7]

Does the recruit have a choice at to where to serve and what duties to be asigned?
Can you explain in a few words how does it works please?

[tanks_alot]

Does the recruit have a choice at to where to serve and what duties to be asigned?
Can you explain in a few words how does it works please?

My recruitment was in 99', so things might have changed a bit, but generally you are asked to which 3 units you want to join, while ranking the order and the army tends to try to meet the soldier's desires with the army's needs.

Of course some units like the Golnai brigade, are more popular than other units, so if you try to get to Golani, your chances are lower. i for example asked to join the armored corps and got what i wanted, since it's far less popular than the infantry units. and i remember that on the first day in the recruitment center, we were told to fill in the correct order, the armored brigades we want to be in.

It was horrible for me. i gave up on paratroopers, some progrem where i study Arabic before the army and then join the intelligence corps and other nice stuff, because it was my dream to serve on a Merkava MK3 and if not than in a MK2 (no MK4 back then). of course i ended up on a crappy Magach in the end...

[Moodys Analyst]

Maybe they enlist in combat units, because they REALLY do not wanna peel potatoes or do other jobnik duties, a sopposed to being gung ho lol.

[dudski]

My recruitment was in 99', so things might have changed a bit, but generally you are asked to which 3 units you want to join, while ranking the order and the army tends to try to meet the soldier's desires with the army's needs.

Of course some units like the Golnai brigade, are more popular than other units, so if you try to get to Golani, your chances are lower. i for example asked to join the armored corps and got what i wanted, since it's far less popular than the infantry units. and i remember that on the first day in the recruitment center, we were told to fill in the correct order, the armored brigades we want to be in.

It was horrible for me. i gave up on paratroopers, some progrem where i study Arabic before the army and then join the intelligence corps and other nice stuff, because it was my dream to serve on a Merkava MK3 and if not than in a MK2 (no MK4 back then). of course i ended up on a crappy Magach in the end...

I'm drafting in two weeks, they asked me top two units I want to join, in order to go to those unit I have to pass the physical test (Gibbush) its pretty nerve wracking waiting..

[flanker7]

Thanks tanks_alot :-)

We had some Israeli students visiting my hi-school in 1994(I went to the army in 1995) I remember a blond guy telling us that he would be recruited when they went back for a 3!!! year service! Ours was the 26 months and it seemed a lot(not that much now after 15 years in the army :-) )

[RoyB]

Maybe they enlist in combat units, because they REALLY do not wanna peel potatoes or do other jobnik duties, a sopposed to being gung ho lol.
What makes you think there's no chance you'll end up peeling potatoes every now and then in combat units?
Its ain't just shooting terrorists and making arrests, you know..

[Bloo]

I've heard since Cast Lead everybody wants to be in combat units now. The success of the operation was a morale boost from 2006 it seems.

[Moodys Analyst]

What makes you think there's no chance you'll end up peeling potatoes every now and then in combat units?
Its ain't just shooting terrorists and making arrests, you know..
Just a (lame) joke on my part. I am sure that the perception on the part of most HS kids is that the more 'high-speed' the unit is, the less time theres left to peel potatoes.

[tanks_alot]

Thanks tanks_alot :-)

We had some Israeli students visiting my hi-school in 1994(I went to the army in 1995) I remember a blond guy telling us that he would be recruited when they went back for a 3!!! year service! Ours was the 26 months and it seemed a lot(not that much now after 15 years in the army :-) )

Yes, men serve 3 years (unless they are in SF, flight school, go to officer's course etc') and women do two years (or almost two years, don't remember).