On the occasion of the end of the course, Lt. Col. A. talks about the challenges: "Huge fleets have been shut down due to the corona, we are continuing with all our might" • On readiness for war: "Victory will be unequivocal"
Cadets in a seamanship course
Photo:
Meir Partosh
"There is a tremendous strengthening of the naval arm, an increase of tens of percent in the number of officers consumed," Lt. Col. A., commander of a seamanship course, who is currently concluding nearly two and a half years in the job, prepares to move to a new position.
"We must increase all training, and in particular the seamanship course, to build the corps for the future. We are growing in the number of tools, including those that were not there before, in the sophisticated weapons we operate, and need to make sure we meet that in terms of manpower - quantitatively and qualitatively."
Today (Wednesday), graduates of the seamen's course will stand on the parade ground at the sea arm base in Haifa.
After two and a half years of course, in the near future they will join submarines, missile ships and other vessels that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, and will protect the shores of Israel.
Reporter: Hanan Greenwood // Photographer: Gil Kramer
"We are an island country, even though Israelis do not always understand it. Israel's economy is sailing at sea and this lifeline must not be harmed, certainly not in a time of economic crisis. In addition, our energetic reality lies in the depths of the sea, which is a supreme asset. "This is the most vulnerable border, with no fences or defenses, and we need to keep the sea arm strong so that on the day of an order we know how to hit the enemy instead of hitting the home front or our strategic assets. We are an island country, even if sometimes we do not understand it."
"We are preparing for war, whether in the IDF or in an emergency," Lt. Col. A. emphasizes.
"The pursuit of victory is the most important thing and that is what we are preparing for. I have no shadow of a doubt that the fighters will achieve a crushing victory on command day, an unequivocal achievement. As much as it depends on me and the officers I trained, victory will be in every situation." "Once upon a time, the naval arm was an accompanying force, and today it is a key tool for decision-makers in any military activity."
Lt. Col. A. with fighters in a seamanship course // Photo: IDF Spokesman
The seamen's course ending today is exceptional not only in the number of its graduates but in the fact that it was held along two waves of the Corona plague, which forced the commanders to face a particularly significant challenge.
"Huge fleets have been shut down because of the corona," says Lt. Col. A. "You see many tools coming out of the fleets' operational capability, including aircraft carriers, because most of their people are sick.
At the end we are a small and powerful corps, with a number of tools measured, so every such tool is the diamond in our crown.
"Keeping every bee, stalk or submarine, is critical, and I'm happy to say that the sea arm continues with all its might."
"The corona was a big challenge. Every vessel, stylus or submarine, is a capsule in itself and its operational competence needs to be maintained, and all this while we are training commanders and authorizing them.
It can be likened to running with all our might while someone tied a weight to us on foot.
We did not have contingency plans for such a situation, we entered a war that we did not adapt to and we had to reinvent ourselves. "
Huge fleets were shut down because of the corona. Lt. Col. A. at sea with cadets // Photo: Meir Partosh
In an unusual move, with the completion of the theoretical part of the seafarers' course, the cadets moved directly to the operational ships.
"The course is not over yet, but we decided to send them and integrate them into teams, each in his own direction. We did the last meetings in the course in Zoom and the military parallels to Zoom. Some of the staff sailed with them throughout the period to continue training."
"The corona gave us a gift," Lt. Col. A. presents a different angle on the situation. "The virus allowed us to measure the cadets in terms of resilience to a very significant role.
At the end of a ship at the end he is a commander of warriors at sea - he has to lead warriors in battle and also make decisions at sea or in front of enemy shores. "
One of the things that the sea arm boasts about is the integration of women in the combat units.
"The numbers of women in the corps are growing. This is a significant contribution to quality. There are women in all majors in the masters course and they stand shoulder to shoulder alongside men without any affirmative action or concessions. I see this as a great success. We know how to get the best out of everyone, no religion "Race or gender."
Lt. Col. A. is currently completing two and a half years in the position, a relatively long time, which allowed him to recruit new fighters for the seamen's course and watch them complete the challenging course successfully. "There is personal satisfaction in this.
You shape people, teach them to understand the delicate balance between the task - winning a war or another mission, and also to know how to command people, to be caring and first and foremost a human being.
It's a great privilege to be able to command these guys as excellent officers. "
