With the first pick in the 2008 Army Draft, Israel selects:

October 6, 2008

Yom Chiyul – יום חיול Becoming a Soldier

This was a day that could easily go down as one of the more exciting yet overwhelming days in my life. I was completely there mentally and physically while at the same time I was very lost. So much was going on around me and I was trying to take it all in while the big event was happening – October 6, 2008 is the day I became a soldier of the Israel Defense Forces

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The day started with something that seems to be a future commonality in the army where we waited around aimlessly for two hours waiting for the journey to start. Finally, at 8 AM, we set off in the opposite direction of our final destination in order to be separated into groups with other Garin groups; then we were to go to the location where the drafting takes place. There I received another envelope stipulating my service time and my status as a lone soldier. We were on our way.

After another long bus ride and more waiting around we made it into the base where the proceedings were going to be taking place. They yelled a little. They set forth some rules. Then it was down to some business.

It began slowly and calmly with giving them our banj account numbers so as to have the correct place to put our salaries once they really start. After I waited in line for some time (which would be a theme of the day), I got my picture taken that was to go on my army ID. I was photographed without my glasses and showed a quick, blatant sign of confusion when they said, “Profile” (it sounds almost the same in Hebrew as it does in English). I thought they meant my physical profile number I received. I awkwardly answered, “72,” until almost immediately the lady snapped back with a, “No. A profile picture – turn to the side.” I was hoping this would be the only time I would feel confused or lost. Other friends of mine, like Danny Fleischer, had an almost identical experience with this confusion so I felt better in that sense. But still…

Right after this I walked across the hall to get some pictures of the inside of my mouth. Next was back across the hall to get fingerprints of every part of both hands. The thing is, throughout this whole thing, nobody was explaining where to go or what to do next. I don’t think they expected us to be perfect but they sure didn’t seem to care to help so much. We had learned the day before about the army’s bureaucracy and it was very apparent. Station by station we went not knowing if it was the right place or the right time or if we were doing things correctly. However, as the army works, we just kept doing as we were and followed the few orders we had and continued.

Next I went through a corridor and found my way to a line for 360 x-rays of our teeth/mouth. Here again I missed the boat several times in directions given of what to do and had some misunderstandings which made things take longer. No worries, it wasn’t to the point of meriting punishment. Onward we went.

Following this I made my way to a short interview to make sure some information was correct. Then I went down the hall and around to get a blood sample for my DNA. While I was at it I registered to donate bone marrow. After the blood was drawn I had no idea where to go so I took a guess. Guess A wasn’t correct; good thing I guessed again and made it to the next station. I got a few shots in my arm. Harmless and hardly painful.

Next came the בלגן – balagan (meaning mess) which I had really anticipated. We received our boots, uniforms, and other things related to it in a huge bag. However, I was turned back because I missed a step that nobody directed me to do. After exchanging my shoes twice, my clothes once, and fiddling with a broken zipper on my bag, I was ready to rock and roll. The only thing is this is the army and the time doesn’t revolve around me – it revolved around them.

We sat and stood and screamed for no reason while in our uniforms. It felt really itchy and sweaty in those uniforms but really, really good at the same time. I looked like a legit soldier. That’s because at that moment I and the rest of my friends were soldiers. We took pictures, hugged, and just smiled. We had taken another step towards what we’re here for now. We already saw some benefits of the soldier deal as I got a free drink at a restaurant in my uniform. But this isn’t all fun and games and we know that. We are officially a part of the army and this will be life. Now we can hope this life path will be what we all dreamed of and more. Besides – we are Israeli soldiers after all. I like the sound of that.