Tank Commander's Course - Weeks 10-12

October 23

We arrived to base in the early afternoon on Sunday and immediately were summoned to an emergency meeting. Word was that a war with Syria and/or Lebanon was about to break out (all of this in practice of course). We checked our emergency gear and prepared the tanks as well with various necessities for a battle, checking if they were in good condition as well. We entered into a lesson and were asked to write on a piece of paper what was our dream for life. Then, the madness started. One of our officers ran in screaming “HAKPATZA!” meaning jump literally but more accurately pointing to the fact that we were going to “war.”

A full out sprint was on to bring our things to the tank all in darkness as the power was turned o ff in order to turn up the simulation. Everyone was running around like chickens without their heads, but once we finally got organize and threw our things into the tanks, we started off on a journey to where we would be holding the battle line. This was the start of a war with the Syrians and we would have to use everything we learned up until now to finish the fighting.

We finished with the tank very late into the night and hardly slept, waking up before the sun because the enemy could begin tracking us by that point. We threw a camouflage net over the tank and set it up so only those next to the tank could understand what it trust was and talked about our plan of action. From one battle front to another, we had a lot of work to do and not much time before our next planned stopping point. Successfully, we destroyed many of their armored corps, infantry, and anti-tank missile power in advancing through Syria. We made it to a place to refuel on gas, food, and water, received wishes of good luck from Israeli children for defending their freedom.

It was on to a fight with our neighbors to the north, Lebanon, which was a whole different ball game. The terrain is very mountainous, creating a difficult strategy for tank fighting, not to mention the fact that it was their home, not ours. We always had to be on the lookout for anti-tank missiles and infantry who would be hiding in the mountains. One thing I learned from this experience is how aware one has to be all the time with one’s surroundings. We trekked through the hills, spotting enemy targets, one after another. As nightfall set in, the enemy had surrendered and we were victorious; we celebrated with a traditional Israeli dish, “Poika” (basically mix anything and everything to make a stew) and enjoyed each other’s company inside of our platoon. In addition, I celebrated my one year of being in the army and halfway point of service. This one year had flown by so fast and looking back at it, particularly during this week’s tasks, confirmed my decision. I was learning how to defend the people and country I love (plus making fun of the other guys who were doing three years made it that much better). It ended up being a tiring week, but the experience was one to remember and a great learning experience for my time to come as a commander. The next two weeks ended up being my own way of celebrating.

I was released from the army for two weeks for my cousin’s wedding in New York, something we had been looking forward to for years. I had enough time to make it back to Arizona as well, spending time with family and friends, seeing my old students, and showing my pride for who I had become in such a short time. I was no longer just David to them – every time I was introduced I was David, almost tank commander in the Israeli army. It really hit me that I had taken a completely different course in life and it was one people really admired for the decision and strength it took. I then set out to an American experience I had not done in quite some time and that was a Yankees game with my dad. It was a playoff game nonetheless in freezing weather with wind and rain. It always bonds us together in outings such as these, especially if your team wins in thrilling fashion (like they had the last sporting event we had gone to together, the Superbowl). Times like these make you simply happy because you do something with someone you love and they are happy as well.

The wedding was simply perfect as I saw many family members I rarely have the chance to see and of course we partied like only our family knows how (you know, five hours straight of dancing – so good the band was even impressed). After then being able to see more great friends in New York and supposedly sound like an Israeli and dress like one too (who could remember anyways that café in English is very much accented on the é part), I headed home to Israel. I had two weeks ahead of me before I would become a commander of the army of the people that I love. I drank my Dr. Pepper and ate a doughnut before the plane departed, but I knew where I belonged, already anticipating the hummus. And as I passed through passport control with ease using a fingerprint system because of my Israeli citizenship, I smiled. I was home and I was ready to go back to work.

Tank Commander's Course - Weeks 7-9

October 2

Following the three weeks of tanks all day, every day, we took a "break" of sorts to concentrate on and learn about other aspects of being a commander. First up was learning navigation skills using topographical maps, compasses, and smarts - none of that technological stuff. There was a very fun atmosphere in doing this, especially because we would eventually be sent off in pairs without our commanders to find random points according to the map. The downside was simply continuing to walk and walk for at least ten kilometers with plenty of weight on our backs. Being in the tanks, I simply hadn't done anything like this in a very long time. It made me realize several things, the main being that i was certainly happy to be in the tanks and not infantry . Overall, the two days were challenging and fun and I had learned a whole new skill - map reading in Hebrew.

Next we headed to a very nice base on the beach in Netanya to learn the job side being a commander. We were faced with different scenarios with soldiers and performed simulations while also talked about traits and personalities of what a commander possesses. I felt like I was in college again learning about education, only this time it was in Hebrew and dealing with rude 18/19 year old Israeli kids. I knew before taking the step to become a commander that it would be challenging on many aspects but I didn't fully realize until now how difficult it might be, particularly in a simulation when dealing with a troublesome soldier. It was hard, but I convinced myself like I always tried to do that if I had accomplished what I had up until now, why wouldn't I do this as well. I headed into Rosh Hashanah with a greater sense of what a commadner needs to be and with the idea that I could be that commander or even better.

Rosh Hashanah brought a very nice break for all of us. The holidays in Israel are something that one has to experience in order to understand. Everyone celebrates in their own special way, really wishing a warm new year to each and everyone they see. I enjoyed my holiday at JJ Jonah's and co. for a nice family experience and capped it off with another with my adoptive family at my "cousin's" 11th birthday party, of course with some fun with my friends in between. Although this was my third Rosh Hashanah in Israel, this one I really felt a part of the society celebrating it. I don't know what it was exactly, but part of me feels like I was now more Israeli than ever, appreciating these holidays not just because of the time off but because of their meaning to our every day lives.

We returned to base on a Monday morning, a treat unlike anyt other in the army (including my opportunity to watch my Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys over the middle of the night). On my way to the army I applied for my Israeli passport which was a very exciting thing because now I could leave and enter this country with the document proving my citizenship to the whole world, which only brings more pride. The whole week was working hard on the tanks and preparing them for the second half of the course. I learned a lot of new things in taking care of the tank, which is at least (if not more than) half of the job in being a tank commander. Although working on the tank isn't the most thrilling thing, it is important and we very much knew how to make it a good time.

We entered the next week after a Shabbat on base straight into Yom Kippur. I was somewhat looking forward to the experience of observing the holiday in the army. I went to services like I normally would; I sat around and talked with friends like I normally would; I fasted Like I normally would. But the biggest difference wasn't the fact I woke up in the middle of the night to guard (although this was a strange feeling). It was that I felt one of my strongest connections to Judaism in my life even though I was somewhat "stuck" inside of the army. As I looked back on my year and what I had done, seen, accomplished, created, etc., I saw myself as a whole different person, particularly in my connection to my religion. So what if I stopped wearing a kippah - in America that was a symbol and my way of expressing my belief. Being in the army, I genuinely felt as though I was a part of Judasim, of its history, of its values, and and of its people. As I broke the fast, I knew I was in the right place and the upcoming year would be even better than the past.

We finished the week learning how to fight with a platoon of tanks (three) which is very complicated in relation to fighting alone (which never happens in reality anyways). Things were getting bigger in the course and the challenge to keep up was becoming larger as well. We then practiced fighting as a company, with me taking the reigns as the gunner for the commander of the whole company. Just written like this doesn't sound like much, but when I say it in the sense that I fired 11 rockets in a four hour span, about 70,000 shekels worth of ammunition, you get a sense just how fun those four hours were for me (and hitting 8/11) wasn't so bad either). As I left the base for Shabbat, my comrades and I looked into the future and saw that we had almost made it to the end. Just one month separated us from becoming commanders. I didn't feel fully ready for that title, but I surely looked forward to what was to be a great learning experience on that account - a week of war in the tanks.

Tank Commander's Course - Weeks 4-6

September 12

Tank Commander’s Course Weeks 4-6

We returned back to the base with the knowledge that we weren’t going to be going home for another three week stint, which makes the returning to the army a little harder because of the thought that one doesn’t see home for such an extended amount of time. These were considered to also be the three hardest weeks in the course because it was intense training all the time and it was continuous hours in the tank learning in gradual steps how to be a commander, finishing with our first time being a commander with live fire of multiple rockets. The challenge was going to be big, but the idea of getting to do this also seemed interesting, so we all tried to take on the point of view that it could possibly be fun. This is the attitude one has to take in situations like this because of the amount of time one will spend training and not seeing a shower or real food or home for such a long time. And you know what? It definitely pays off.

As we do with everything in the army, we led up to the final product in steps, learning from the base all the way to the big thing. The first week, we entered into the tanks without any movement and practiced the commands that we need to say to our other crew members in the tank and what we do in different situations, such as if an enemy soldier pops up on the side or when tanks are ready to fire at us. We then practiced our first movement in the tanks, travelling backwards and forwards and pretending to shoot at the enemy. The first time doing this was a wild experience, much more than it was driving the first time because your head is outside of the tank and you feel as though you’re flying in a way, floating on the Earth. I actually accomplished these tasks really quickly and really well, something I was proud of myself for. The only problem that in the army, that isn’t always the best thing because it meant that I was free to do other things such as…kitchen – the worst. I was placed there twice for the remainder of the first week with great dissatisfaction, but was happy to make it to the first Shabbat where I was able to rest up after a hard, physical week and to prepare for another one that was to follow.

Next, we returned immediately to the shetach with a similar week to follow, only this time we were going to be doing a full drill in the tank moving completely forward while practicing a full-on attack and firing most of the weapons on the tank, minus the rockets. This was going to be again challenging but also fun because we were going to taking that huge, expensive vehicle for a spin and using ample ammunition along the way. In addition, since we can’t all be commanders at the same time, we were able to practice the other positions many times over, making us even more experienced within the tank and understanding the roles of each position. Although each position is hard it its own way, they each have their really fun moments, ones that can’t really be described to someone who hasn’t tried them. But the one thing they all have in common is that if you do them while giving 100%, the experience is that much better. We finished the week having been a commander in the moving tank with firing for the first time, but we knew it was going to become more difficult with more things added on, but thankfully had another Shabbat to rest up before the upcoming week.

We didn’t waste any time on the third week, travelling to the shetach on Saturday night right after Shabbat ended. We woke up early on Sunday morning, got the tanks ready, and prepared for the most important week in the entire course, mostly due to the fact that it is with this week’s training that someone essentially finishes all of the necessary training to become a commander. But as stated earlier, we wanted to try having fun while also giving our all so that it wouldn’t feel like a mandatory week of training but more like an interesting and fun one. The first day I played to the role of water boy (bringing the people who were training water) and wasn’t involved much in the training because there wasn’t enough space for all of us to get the things done that we needed to. The next day, I started as the other members in the tank a few times, not looking as though I would get in my time as a commander (one needs to do both day and night for the training). Then, right before sunset, I was summoned to “prepare” my soldiers for our trek through the training, something that was also added to this week. Each time we were the commander, we had to run through what we were doing, how we were going to do it, and other bits and pieces such as information on the enemy or on our strength. I did a fairly good job but didn’t have any time to breathe, as I quickly did the night one as well. The reason they rushed me into finishing was because on the Tuesday of the week, it was a “fun day” for lone soldiers. This was really nice to partake in as they took us to the beach and just gave us a nice day off to relax and clear our minds and show their support for all that we do. It is a great feeling when people, other soldiers really, take time out of their days to show appreciation – it really makes you feel a little better on a daily basis with what you are doing.

We finished the “hardest part” of the course and in the end it wasn’t so bad after all. We were well on our way to the light at the end of the tunnel as we had finished half of the course and basically all of the necessary training as well. Although it was continuously going to be challenging, this was a positive reinforcement that we really could accomplish anything thrown our way, we just needed to take it easy and take it one step at a time. The weeks to follow aren’t supposed to be as difficult physically, but the challenge is always going to be present. But I know we are going to make it fun along the way and finish the rest of the course with pride and dignity for what we are becoming – commanders in the Israeli army.

Tank Commander's Course - Weeks 1-3

August 22, 2009

Because the world moves at turbo speed, it sometimes becomes difficult to even find time to breathe. My time in America flew and then I had to return from the dream life of vacation back to reality which is the army. No more waking up when I wanted to. No more eating what I wanted to when I wanted to. No more sleeping on a comfortable bed every night. I chose to make the transition fast in order to not allow myself second thoughts about the army thing, even though it didn’t really make a difference seeing that I had signed a two-year contract of sorts the October before. However, making a fast transition back into the army into an intense course, not just everyday training like I had done up until this point, changes the entire ballgame. This was going to be a commander’s course – a lot more was to be expected of me and it was going to be more challenging mentally and physically than ever before, with more responsibility being at the head of the new expectations.

I returned to base for the first time in a few weeks and it felt a little weird to be back but at the same time I was happy to see my friends again and tell them my “wild stories” as they called them from my time in the states. There wasn’t very much time for anything like that – the army doesn’t like to waste time, especially when they only have three months to train you to become a tank commander. We filled out all of our paperwork, learned the new rules for the course, and were off and rolling. The first two weeks were going to be just classes on the tank followed by a week of practical learning training about what we learned at a basic level, similar to what I had in basic training when I had 7 weeks of the tank driving course. The only difference was this was three weeks overall…on the entire tank…at a much higher level of learning because, let’s face it, knowing how to command a position and how to simply operate it at a simple level is very different. Talk about a two-week crash course in tanks that felt sometimes like it hit me head on like, well, a tank.

The classes started every day at 7:30 every morning and lasted until 10:00 every night, with an hour break for lunch and 30 minutes for dinner. And there wasn’t a theme of sorts to the day’s lessons – the material popped all over the place and didn’t focus on one position’s information. Let’s just say my brain was already exploding after one day’s worth of classes. And, in addition to the long day of classes, there was also nightly homework and a test every morning on everything that was learned the day before. Every night, the teachers, the girls who were specialized in different subjects, would come and help us with what we had learned. For me, this turned into almost a review in a private lesson format because of the amount of the information being thrown in our direction. Most people would finish all of their work by about 12 or 1 at night and head to bed. In case it wasn’t known, Hebrew is not my first language – therefore, it would take me much more time to not only finish the work, or even half of it. I averaged about three hours of sleep each night during the classes and I would go to sleep without having finished the work because, well, I knew I wouldn’t last on one hour of sleep.

Everyone was very helpful and really tried hard to make sure I understood what was going on. I even had two of my friends from my Garin who are tank instructors, Maor and Inbal (the latter actually taught one of my lessons), and this made things a lot easier. But changin the level of difficulty from almost impossible to very challenging doesn’t cause one to feel so confident in absorption of the material. I was receiving 50% and 60% on the tests – and let me say I was thrilled with myself. I was learning and could see it, and sure I wasn’t remembering everything but I was making progress. It was then I reminded myself that I just need to try my best and give it my all and that’s all anyone can ask of me, and the rest would work out. I also knew that once we left the classroom and got into the tanks and used our learning for practicality, I would start feeling more comfortable and I would be able to show that I knew what was going on and I wasn’t just some guy who didn’t understand anything.

The third week we finally left the classroom and went to start training and it was probably the happiest I had ever been to do something like this since starting the army. The commanders, or “gardeners” as they’re called in the course, were very surprised at how well I was doing, partly because during the lessons I was somewhat behind the other guys because of the language barrier. But I used the skills I had obtained throughout my service of watching really closely what to do and remembering what to say from when my friends would start their practicing and this is how I learned the best. I was even surprising myself with how well I did in certain things, specifically shooting from the tank for the first time and simply doing everything with the most energy (that I didn’t have) I could, such as the loading (which is all about will).

When it was all said and done, I felt like I had accomplished a lot in the first three weeks. However, this was the first step in what we were here to do and that was learning how to become tank commanders. What we had done up until this point was learning the other positions in the tank besides the commander. We were really just getting started and a lot lay ahead of us in terms of knowledge and training. It is somewhat humorous that within three weeks I was officially trained enough to be the other two positions in the tank when it had taken seven just to be a driver. That is a great picture of how the army works sometimes – they want to get their most bang for their buck and get the most results in the shortest amount of time possible. But from a basic standpoint, we all felt like within three weeks we were much more confident in what the tank can do and how we can use that knowledge to our advantage. We had passed this level and now it was on to the real deal – taking the reigns as the commander.

The American Reunion Tour

July 31

Fresh off of finishing our big training and being official fighters in the army, we knew we had about a month of random tasks and tidbits to take care of before the tank commander’s course would start. None of us really knew what this meant or what would be happening, but what we did know is that sitting around and doing nothing was not something we wanted to be doing. Becoming bored (among other things) in the army is an easy way to lower motivation and the drive that keeps soldiers wanting to give or fight because they feel somewhat insignificant. Thankfully, the five weeks weren’t all going to be a bore, but surely there would be many moments that would make us want to pull (the little amounts that are allowed of) our hair out.

The first week was taking place during an exercise of the entire brigade – all of the generals, commanders, hummer drivers, etc. Of course, what is an exercise if there is no enemy, which is where we came in to play. For the entire week, we wore old American uniforms and pretended to be Hezbollah and help the other soldiers practice what they needed to. This was actually a pretty cool experience being able to just sit out in the shetach by ourselves (with three people) for 24 hours straight and plan our own methods of attack with fake bullets and fireworks and things of that nature. Although it was tiring, it was also fun just sitting there with friends for hours on end and getting to do something that was like playing in a huge game of hide and seek.

After the week ended, I was fortunate enough that my parents came to visit me for the second time since I joined the army. This time was a little different than the first mainly that I wasn’t in the middle of training at the time so I wasn’t as tired as usual and I had many more things added on my uniform from when they saw me (well actually everything – my unit tag, my beret, pin on the beret, pin on my uniform, dog tag cover…you get the picture). And one other thing that I had with me when I met them at the airport was my gun, something that I was actually very proud to see them with because in my opinion that’s one of the things that shows that you’re a fighter in this army and shows the responsibility you have walking around with an actual firearm. Because from where most of us grow up, seeing anyone with a gun is a frightening sight…here, it is very regular to see the fighters with their guns and I was happy to finally be joining that honorable group. It was really great spending time with my parents on the beach in Tel Aviv and just feeling like I was on vacation and being able to see my friends at night.

During the weekend it dawned on me that the next four weeks before the course would start were going to end up being awfully dull and tedious and realized that by the time my course would end, it would almost be a year in the army, the amount of time in which I can use an allotted 30 days to travel to the U.S. to see friends and family. So I on a spur of the moment and relatively last minute, I flew to the U.S. for 15 days to see friends and family that I hadn’t seen over the span of a year – I like to think of it as a reunion tour of sorts. I wasn’t really sure what the feeling was going to be like to fly to America and be a tourist of sorts and to answer questions about what I do and also if I was going to miss being in Israel or realize that maybe America was a better place for me. That somewhat made me anxious because then I would have many mixed feelings about what I was doing in Israel. But, I decided it was definitely worth it to go through with the trip.

The first stop on this tour was the L.A. area where I ended up at Camp Ramah for the weekend, going there to surprise everyone and see the adults with special needs which I had worked with for a few summers because, to be honest, I missed them as much as anyone throughout my time in Israel. It was really excellent to see so many friends in one place and to be at a place where I wouldn’t hesitate to say has been one of my “secondary homes” throughout the years. On the way out of California, I visited my Uncle Danny and Aunt Helene in Oxnard and was able to spend a quality day with them. My next stop on my tour was to see the city which I grew up in – Albuquerque, New Mexico. I travelled to see my grandparents whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time and it was just so nice to sit with them and talk about life. After seeing them, I headed back to Tucson for the first time since last June. Besides seeing all of my family and friends, it was a weird but nice feeling to see the city which I had called home for seven years before moving to Israel (of course it is always better in every place when you have the feeling of vacation and are free of most responsibilities).

The time then came to make my way back here, back home. I had a really great time in America, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to be returning to Israel. When I was randomly placed next to an Israeli on the place from Tucson to Chicago, I realized how much I loved being Israeli, simply being able to talk in Hebrew when the opportunity popped up and be even more proud of the fact that I was Jewish than when I lived in America. As I boarded the plane from London to Tel Aviv, I began to gain a sense of satisfaction. This stemmed from the feeling that I had just travelled as an Israeli for the first time and almost carried myself as a messenger and liaison to show others how great Israelis are and how great the country is and the fact that it was me that had this awesome job. On Sunday, I begin a new chapter in my army experience and my path as an Israeli. It is going to be challenging but in the end I also know it will be rewarding. Because who would want to be bored anyways when instead you can get pushed to the limits both physically and mentally in order to become to best possible soldier in defending the country you love? I know I wouldn’t…and that’s why I’m happy to be back in this great country of Israel.