The Quickest of Updates

It's Crunch Time?

It's been a busy few weeks on Kibbutz Beit Rimon for The Jake. The various members of my Garin - including myself - have been swamped with pre-army preparations (those socks certainly won't buy themselves...), as well as some last minute bureaucratic errands and/or tribulations. As it has been a fairly no-nonsense week for us all, this post will simply be an update as to what's going on in my garin in terms of drafting, as well as my acceptance into a combat unit.

The Garin Update

As of now, the "Absorption" period of Garin Tzabar has concluded. It was quite successful, with many of us becoming more comfortable with Hebrew through Ulpan classes or interactions with the Kibbutz residents, most of us already choosing adoptive families on the Kibbutz, and a significant portion of us getting our desired placements in the army. By the time this post has been published, three members of my Garin will have already drafted. In order of draft date, members of my garin have drafted to:

תותחנים (Totchanim, or Artillery): A combat unit that is mainly made up of self propelled howitzers and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), although it utilizes some other nifty gadgets, including drones and the sophisticated Tammuz missile. Notably, the member of my Garin who drafted there is now part of the 10% of Israeli women draftees who volunteer for combat units. Totchanim drafts on November 25th this year, although the draft for women combat soldiers was on the 14th.

חטיבת גולני (Chativat Golani, or Golani Brigade): The Golani Brigade is one of the most storied foot infantry units in the Israeli army. It has fought in every one of Israel's wars, and had active, if not historic, roles in all of said wars. It is made up of the 51st, 52nd, and 13th Battalions. Like all other infantry brigades, it contains a Palchan (demolitions division), Orev (anti-tank division), and Palsar (reconnaissance division). Golani also contains Israel's guerrilla fighting force, Egoz. This weekend, the member of my Garin who drafted to Golani plans on beginning his Gibush (trial) to be allowed to train and deploy with the Palsar. Golani's draft date was November 17th. However, due to a bureaucratic fluke, the member of my Garin who drafted to Golani drafted on the 18th.

חטיבת כפיר (Chativat Kfir, or Kfir Brigade): The Kfir Brigade is the youngest foot infantry brigade in Israel, as it was established in 2005. Depending on your political affiliation, they operate almost exclusively in Judea and Samaria/The West Bank/Chuck E. Cheese's. They specialize in counter-terrorism operations, and generally see the most "action" during peace time. Kfir is made up of  the Nachshon, Shimshon, Haruv, Duchifat, and Lavi Battalions. Also included in Kfir is Netzach Yehuda, a battalion made up of entirely religious soldiers with rigorous religious guidelines (ex: mandatory prayer three times a day), as well as Oketz, Israel's K9 division. Kfir drafted on November 19th. It is the last brigade to draft a member of my Garin until my draft date, bringing me to...

The Jake Update

Since my last update on my bureaucratic and health situation, I have spent a combined 14 hours on busses to and from pulmonologist related appointments, 2 hours on the phone with insurance companies, five minutes of nearly crying to said insurance company, and another half hour of inhaling asthma-test powder, it pleases me to write that I have finally received a combat profile. With a little extra push from Garin Tzabar, I plan on drafting to שריון (Shiryon, or the Armored Corps) this Sunday, November 24th.

That's it for now. I plan on publishing a more expansive, encompassing, and lively post within the next two days to sum up my experiences so far as well as to look forward to the next chapter in my time as an Oleh Chadash (new immigrant) in Israel.