Shooting week

Hello and Merry Christmas,

This week was our shooting week. Basically, besides running, push-ups, sit-ups and sprinting, we shot our guns.

Sunday:

We arrived at base, late in the day, and spent the rest of the day setting up base. This means that we took our cots, bags, mattresses and sleeping bags out of the storage room and put them in our tent.

Monday:

We went down to the shooting range and worked on zeroing in our guns. Basically, we had 5 bullets and had to shoot them into a 25m target. We worked on getting a grouping of bullets close together and then adjusting our sights by moving the aimer accordingly.

At night, we had a masa, or Journey. This time it was only 6km or 4 miles. The sky was cloudy this time so we didn't get to see the stars like last time, but it was still fun to do.

Tuesday:

We went back to the shooting range and worked again on zeroing our guns (there are 22 kids and only 6 shoot at a time. Also, not everyone gets a close grouping their first time.) However, this time when we shot, it was at 50 meters and also before, when we were at the 25 meter line, we had bags of sand in front of us to rest our hands on and help us aim. The third time we shot, we had to wear our tactical vests with our helmets on. The reason for this is so we know what to expect if we ever have to shoot in the field. This time they took the bags away and we had to hold the gun without any help. At night, we went for a little run (only 1k)

Wednesday:

Back to the shooting range! This time we went to an open range. By this I mean we went to a firing range in the mountains and on a dirt surface and not cement. It was a lot better on the elbows, because the whole time we are lying down with our elbows up and it tends to hurt after a while. We also got to shoot today under a time pressure constraint. The rate was: 5 seconds to get down into the shooting position and fire 1 shot. 6 seconds to jump down into the firing position and fire 2 shots. And 8 seconds to get down into the shooting position and fire 3 shots. Every time rate, we did 5 times, in a row. So instead of shooting 5 bullets in our own time, we had to shoot 27 bullets according to the time rate (5 times we shot 1 bullet, 5 times we shot 2 bullets and 5 times we shot 3 bullets.) The next firing test was only 15 bullets (3 bullets in 8 seconds 5 times). The final test for shooting was to get down into the shooting range, fire three bullets and then change magazines with another 3 bullets. The whole time we were wearing our tactical vests.

At night, we went back to the shooting range and did night time shooting. There are different rules to fire for night time shooting. One of the big ones was that everyone had to fire at the same time. There is nothing more powerful than 8 guys shooting a gun all together at the same time.

Thursday:

Thursday was a calm day. In the morning we had a meeting on the spirit of the army and then we went back to the old base to go to the shecem (the only store on base, where soldiers can buy drinks; soda, juice, water; and food: chips, cookies, candy, and other things.) It was an easy day and at night we went back to the old base to sleep.

As always, it was a great week and we did a lot of things that just make you stop and say wow, only here in the army will I ever get to do something as cool as this.

Shooting and Health all in one week

This week was one of the toughest and most fun weeks I have ever had in my life.

Sunday:

We arrived to the base and had a class all day (and well into the night) on first aid. The course is to certify all combat soldiers in basic first aid. That way they can help other soldiers in the field while they wait for the medic. The course included the basic first aid things (heat stroke, dehydration, snake/scorpions/spider bites, hypothermia and many other things) The course also included what to do if a soldier is in the field and his group happened to be attacked with a grenade. We learned how to tie a tourniquet, where to apply pressure, what to do and then whom to call.

Monday:

We finished off the first aid course, took a test (which everyone passed) and then we moved bases. The new base is somewhere farther south of the past base and looks very much the same. While I’m sure that most of the readers have been through a move in their life (I have been through 4 but can only remember 3) But there is nothing like a whole pluga (large group of soldiers consisting of 300+) moving. Everything from beds, cots, bags, plates, basically anything everyone needs for living had to be moved.

Tuesday:

We started the day at our new base. We also started shooting today. We learned all about the safety at the gun range and rules. We also learned how to shoot and how to improve our shooting. Out of 6 bullets I got all 6 on the paper. At night, we went on a masa (journey) for 4km. It was incredibly cool to see all the shooting stars and the night sky.

Wednesday:

More shooting. This time we learned on how to improve our body positions and how to improve what we do when we shoot so our shots are better. This time we were only given 5 bullets and again I got all 5 on the sheet. At night we did some sprints and a lot of pushups. We also went through all our gear and loaded up our magazines. Now whenever we walk anywhere (even if it’s to the bathroom, we need to have two magazines with us and the gun. The reason is so that we can always be ready in case we need to be.

Thursday:

We woke up early this morning and were only given 45 seconds to be outside our tent with whatever we had on and a gun and magazines. The idea was to train up to be ready for a time of war, when you have no time at all to get dressed and fit. Then we were told to put on a white shirt with our name on it and follow the Mifacdem to the Krav Maga place. wow. Krav Maga for the army is nothing like you think it would be. Back home I took 1 year of Krav. It was a lot of fun, back home because 30 min you are doing cardio work and 30. min you learn technique and fit. Here, class is for an hour or more (we weren't allowed to wear watches) and the whole time we spent running sprints and having to be in the push-up position, without having our knees touch the ground. There was no fighting or anything. It was really tough and the reason why the class is set up like this is because when we have to use Krav, it I all intensity and constant fighting spirit. "There needs to be a switch in the mind that now we are fighting and not in training or on base or anything, juts Krav" - as according to my M'M (Mifaced Machlaca - 22 people group)

Then rest of the day, I was put on tornaut duty. That means that instead of going into the field and shooting, like in the previous days, I had to stay back, near the tents, and help the rasap (the one in charge of cleanliness and order for the tents, food and everything else.) It was a tough job because there had been a lot of wind the night before and continued into the day and all the tents fell, so we had to spend the entire day cleaning up the tents and putting them back together. At night, a bunch of religious people came to the base and we lit the Hannukiah and ate sufganiout (jelly donuts) for Hanukkah, Of course, as tornaut, I had to first help set up the room of the candle lighting ceremony and then hand out jelly donuts and only at the end did I get one. It was a fun day though and the rasap said I was the best toran he has had in a while.

Throughout the week, one thing that has not yet stopped to amaze me is how much Israelis go out of their way to help me understand things that I usually won’t. For example, during the course for the first aid, all the Olyim Hadashiem (new immigrants) were taken to a special class and were taught the material in a lower level Hebrew and at a slower pace. Also during the test, if something wasn’t clear, the teacher would repeat the question in English for all of us. The other example is that my kita (class – 11 soldiers) has to teach me 10 New Hebrew words every day. The Mifaced checks to make sure they do this by asking me at night what words. Also, whenever we are learning something, such as the grenade launcher or something else, if I don’t understand something, everyone is willing to help me understand. Usually, at the end of the course someone says: “I love how if you don’t understand something you ask. That’s the most important thing and we will always be there to explain it to you. (The sentence was repeated to me from soldiers, my mifaced, my Samal (sergeant) and the rasap.)

The other thing I learned this week is how much I miss hot food. Just like in the gibbush, we were given only field rations (tuna, corn, pineapple, halva and the two new foods in a can; vegetable spread and spicy tuna.) Hopefully next week we will finally be taken back to the cafeteria for some real food.

Hag Sameach to all.

1st real week

Wow. This week was the first real week in the army.

One Sunday we had a day off, as a gift for doing the gibbush last week.

Sunday:

I went to Jerusalem to meet with the great Yossi Jameel, the writer of the Muqata blog. (You can read his work at http://muqata.blogspot.com/) I really recommend this site for people who want to stay updated on whats happening in Israel.

I also met with two of my best friends from high school.

After a long and relaxing day off it was time to go back to the army.

Monday:

I woke up early at 6, and went straight to Be'er Sheva to go back to base. There, we finally found out if we passed the gibbush or not. Lucky I passed and was placed in one of the elite units. After a sad goodbye to my friends who didn't pass, we went to our new area for sleeping. There we met our new Mifaced (this time, he will be our commander till the end of my army service) and my group (also going to be the same till the end of my army service).

The group is made up of 15 kids and together we make up a kita. There are two kita to a machlaca (bigger group) and there are 4 kitot to a pluga (all of Special Forces)

There we also met our new MM (head of our machlaca) and MP (the head of the pluga). The all seem like great people who are going to look after us.

In total, 7 Garin Tzabar people made Special Forces and two others are in my group.

Tuesday:

We did some clerical work and received our weapons. We were all excited. It is an M-16 short.

Wednesday:

More clerical work. Met with the base doctor, psychologist and head of the army base. We also earned the strap for our gun that goes around our head. We had to run a lot in order to get it but now life is easier (especially eating lunch since we don’t need to hold the gun on our laps and have a hand on the handle at all times)

We also got a bag that held 6 magazines, a brush for the gun and some other things. We learned how to take the gun apart, clean it and then put it back together. Then we learned how to conduct a check to show that we don’t have any bullets in our gun. Basically, you have to point the gun in the air, cock the gun 3 times and the last time hold the cock back so the Mifaced can see into the gun and check that you don’t have any bullets.

Thursday:

Finished the clerical work. Then at night we went on a masa or journey. First, we had to load the magazines for the guns, with real bullets and then we had to put on our army vests. I was put as the radioman and had to run from the front of the line to the back of the line giving out messages to everyone from the commander. In total, I was wearing around 25k of weight. I was also the commander’s right hand man and if there was a problem on the march, I would be the first to know and have to relay the message to the Mifaced. When we finished the masa, we all got these white bands on our shoulders. This means that we are now in the special forces of the group and now the training can really begin.

Throughout the whole week, the weather has been cold, wet and raining. Hopefully next week, the weather will be better and we can finally get a chance to shoot.

Time for a new Gibbush

Instead of writing the usual big blog post i do, im going to write a recap of what happened this week:
Sunday:
Sunday i needed to be back at base so i took a bus from my kibbutz to Be'er Sheave where my base is
Once I arrive to Be'er Sheeva, i had to board another bus to take me to a place where all soldiers go to meet up with their mifaceds and be taken to their main training base.
At this waiting area, i got a chance to see some of my friends in other units, such as Matti and Dave in Tzanchaniem. I then had to run back to my area (Nahal area) and met up with my Mifaced and went off to my training base.
Once i arrive i had a quick lunch and then we received our B gear which included:
Uniform B - a uniform that looks like a but is meant to be worn in the field
Shovel
rain gear
Jacket
Long pants
Water bottles

All this was put into a bag that looks like a backpack, without the comfortable straps called a tadal we were then given time off and sent to bed early

Monday:
nothing really happened in the morning At night we started Gibbush. Gibbush is a tryout to get into the special forces of the group your in. The special forces included:
Palsar - recon group
Palchan - explosives unit
Orev- anti tank
Palkit - radio unit used during time of war
In order to get into any of the special forces, you need to pass a 4 day gibbush that includes anything from running to crawling to sprinting to masas (or long marches)
the gibbush started with us being lead out of the base, to the back area and to a huge field. Right near the back entrance of the base, was the sleeping area for the gibbush, which included many tents in the shape of a Chet. There was also a long road, which leads to the base at one end and at the other are the bases shooting ranges. There is also a lot of open space, a few trees and nothing else besides rocks. The first thing we did when we got to the gibbush was stand in the open area in the center of the Chet. there we met our first commanders and given dinner which consisted of:
two cans of tuna
Corn in a can
Pineapple in a can
bread
spreads (chocolate and jelly)
Cucumbers and Tomatoes
This food all came in a box and was supposed to resemble the food a special forces group gets in the field. This was also the same meal we would get for the next four days for lunch, breakfast and dinner. The next thing we did was fill bags (the ones that you can find at gardening stores and hold dirt or moss) with sand and rocks and put the into our tadales. We were also given a big bag called a kitbag, where we put all the things originally found in our tadal. The final thing we did was take sleeping bags and thin, thin, thin pieces of foam for sleeping on. The next thing we did was stand back in the open area of the tents and got our new group and commanders. We were then told to take only our tadaliem and run to the farthest tent. We then formed a Chet and waited for the mifaced to come. Then he said "you see that rock over there, 10 seconds to form an new Chet there." Once we got far enough away for the mifaceds liking, we were told to stand in the line. Then he said, "You see that rock over there, 10 seconds to run around it and come back." we did this for a while (over an hour). Then he said, "You see the same rock, 30 seconds to crawl there and back" This again went on for a while. We started the gibbush with 330 people and at this point, we were down to 200. After we finished crawling, we were sent back to the open Chet area, where we got our new group and our new mifaceds. Then we were given numbers and new rules:
1: at all times, a hat, with our numbers, must be on our heads
2: while we sleep, we needed to have 2 guards. 1 at the entrance of the tent and 1 walking around the tent
3: no shoes allowed in the sleeping bags
we were then shown our new tents and sent to sleep

Tuesday:
After doing guard duty for 1 hour 30 min (which means i was waken up 3 times at night) we were woken up at 6 in the morning. The day looked like this:
wake up We were given a gun (m-16 long) and a vest that is used to hold water bottles, magazines of ammo and other essentials in the field.
Masa with a stretcher
masa with the tadaliem (every time we did a masa, we needed to be in two lines right behind the mifaced. If we were to far behind, we had to wake in a circle to collect everyone and restart) sprinting crawling (again for an hour and a half)
lunch
digging a whole that we had to hide in if artillery were to start hitting us
sprinting
crawling creating a hiding spot somewhere deep in the field, with what ever we could find near us (bushes, dirt, rocks)
dinner
masa sleeping
At the start of the group, we had 17 people. At the end of the day, we were down to 11

Wednesday:
Physically it was an easier day throughout the night
we still had to do guard duty. We were also woken up in the middle of the night, given 3 min. to get dress and led on a masa when we woke up, we were down to 10 people (most groups had 10, some had 7 and one had 6)
masa in the morning
breakfast
Sprinting thinking game - the scenario was that there was going to be a nuclear explosion and we had to save 4 people. the options were:
a boy who was 5
a girl who was 5
a farmer
a physicist
doctor
astronaut
a woman with the knowledge on how to rebuild the world
and many more people
the group finally decided that we were going to save the woman, the farmer, the girl who was four and the doctor.
We were then told to go running again masa lead to a big steep mountain where we had to put sand bags on our back and walk around the mountain and keep track of how many times we walk around
then we were lead to monkey bars and as a team we had to stay up on them for 5 min.
After failing five times, we were punished with sprinting
After that we were lead to an open area and told, without looking at the base, using what ever is around you rebuild the base
Lunch
once we finished that we were lead to brain game 2: we were given a log and an oil drum. The game was to cross this river. We were on one side and the water was full of mines. We had to use what we were given and cross the lake.
After failing three times, we had to run again (as punishment). This time however, we had to run in a circle, at one spot we had to do ten pushups, then sprint to another spot, do 10 sit-ups, then sprint to another part and do this jumping, pushup type thing and sprint back to the beginning. After about 15 min of this we were lead to a wire and told to dig a hole that we could go under the wire and not touch it. After what seem like forever of digging, we were told to see if we could go under the wire or not. Once no one was able to do this, we had to cover up our holes and we were lead back to our tent.
there we had dinner
After dinner we were lead on one last final big masa and then sent off to bed

Thursday:
one last night of guarding
Wake up
Masa
Breakfast
filled out a questionnaire about our selves and then we finished the gibbush with a private interview with the mifacdeem
At the end of the gibbush, we had 130 people left (although it seemed like less and when we counted at night we got 110)
Throughout the whole gibbush, we had to have two full water bottles on us. Whenever we finished the masa one way, when we came back, after sprinting or crawling, we had to drink a full water bottle or drink a full one between two people. Also throughout the gibbush, the mifacdem would always ask us if we felt healthy, wanted to drop out or if we needed a doctor. Once we finished the gibbush, we walked to the food area and ate like kings. Everything from chicken to hamburgers to pastry. We were them lead back to our groups before we started, where everyone gave us a congratulator shake and pat on the back. We then spent the rest of the day cleaning the base and getting it ready for us to leave

Friday:
we woke up early at 4 cleaned up the base some more and left the base to come home

As a gift to us for doing the gibbush, we don't need to go back to the army on Sunday and instead get to go back on Monday. That is when we finds out if we passed the gibbush and where we are going. We also found out that next week we will be starting real basic training and we will not be off next weekend. Welcome to the real army!!!