Combat is the Best - Part 1

October 29

Each Wednesday, our group does something that prepares us for the physicality that is to come in basic training in the army. It is called קרבי זה הכי – combat is the best. This is to test and gauge our mental and physical strength all while learning three of the army’s most important concepts – time, group work/cohesiveness, and הכל בראש, hakol b’rosh – everything is in your head. This is the first of a two-part account of each week’s events and what transpired.

The first week (August 20) we had our entire group with us and it was based around running and staying together. It was about three hours long and it doesn’t seem like it would be so difficult, but keeping 20+ girls and guys together as one is a big challenge. The main section was being given 12 minutes to run an unknown distance in groups of two to a place where our guides were waiting. During this exercise, I along with others even had to help carry people up the remainder of a hill just to make it on time. In the end, we were all winded but had completed something challenging and had done so together.

The second occasion (September 3) had a group that was dwindled down to nine. The advantage was that we could work together as a closer group. The disadvantage was that we did this run around with a stretcher (alunkah pronounced in Hebrew) and three sandbags on top. The weight was one thing, the shoulder pain was another. We all worked better this time around, even if we were given tasks that seem borderline crazy. One was running up a hill extremely steep with a person labeled as “injured” through brush and thorns. After falling multiple times and bleeding as well (and having to push some friends down the hill in order to make it on time), we did it, again together.

The next two times (September 10 and 17) our main guide was tending to a new daughter so one of the people who works with us on the kibbutz led the sessions. The first of these found us carrying people on our shoulders this time instead of a stretcher. The most interesting thing about this task is that a person really can carry any other person on their shoulders, regardless of the weight. It’s just another test of mental strength. The second time had only three of us involved in the activity so we went for a run in the hills behind our kibbutz. This was the most painful on my legs up to that point but even so: running 5-6 kilometers in the hills of the forest was an enjoyable break from bruised shoulders. Unfortunately, I had no idea what was in store for me.

One week later (September 24) we rejoined with our leader and, to say the least, he wasn’t really too pleased that only three of us were ready to participate the previous week. I don’t know if this changed the plan, but within minutes we found ourselves standing next to three telephone poles and we were being instructed to pick one up on our shoulders and be ready to carry it away. I can’t say I ever thought I’d do something like this – ever.

We started at a walking pace and then suddenly our leader stopped walking on the trail and headed up the side of a mountain. “Was he really doing this?” I thought to myself. No doubt he was. We had nine people carrying a telephone pole up the side of a mountain through thorns and barbed wire. It’s hard to describe what was going through my mind, but I switched my focus to the challenge at hand, as daunting as it seemed.

After about 45 minutes we finally made it to the top, battered and bruised, scratched and bleeding. If that hadn’t been enough, we walked down on a trail to a house about 15 feet in height. The task? To get the pole and everyone up the side of the house, walk on the roof to the other side, carry it more when we arrived back on the ground, then to descend it and everyone from a 10-foot drop off of a stair case. I smiled when I heard the instructions because, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t really that crazy – I along with my friends had just carried the pole up the mountain for crying out loud. We completed the assignment and all went home knowing we had just done something we could have never imagined doing; a feeling like that instills much self confidence and positive feelings into each person.

To be continued…