The IDF will establish a fifth light infantry battalion (for the protection of the borders) in which women and men will serve together, Israel Hayom has learned.
The battalion is expected to be operational already towards the middle or end of 2023, and the intention is to start recruiting in about six months.
The establishment of the battalion is necessary for the evacuation of fighting forces for training.
The fifth mixed battalion will join the four existing light infantry battalions, in which men and women serve side by side - caracal, cheetahs, lions of the Jordan and Bekaa lions. The new battalion does not yet have a name, but it is estimated that it will also be named after a desert cat.
The four light infantry battalions belong to the border defense system, and the male and female fighters in them perform tasks together mainly along peace borders, including patrols and ambushes, pursuits, observations and security of settlements. Each of the battalions consists of two-thirds female fighters and one-third male fighters.
The girls who serve in the border protection battalions are required to have a profile of 82 or more, to be screened as fighters and to commit to mandatory service equal in length to the mandatory service of the men.
The training course for the battalions includes 06 rifleman training that lasts 16-18 weeks at the Border Defense School at the Ranger base, as well as three months of advanced training in the operational sectors.
Female fighters in the IDF. Soon also in a new infantry battalion, photo: IPA
Adjustments on the fly
The first battalion established in the format of a mixed combat infantry battalion for women and men was the Karakal Battalion, which in 2004 united the Karakal companies that previously consisted mainly of Nahal nuclear men and volunteers for combat service.
The first company of the battalion was established in November 2000 as an experimental company at the initiative of the Chief of Staff at the time, Shaul Mofaz. A decade later, in November 2014, the Jordan Lions Battalion was established, which also combined female infantry fighters alongside soldiers, and a year later another battalion was established, the Cheetah Battalion .
The 4th mixed battalion, the Valley Bearers, was established in 2017.
In the first years, quite a few problems were discovered in the battalions involved, and female fighters testified about quite a few stress fractures and medical problems.
The IDF did extensive staff work on the issue, and adapted the efforts and nutrition to the women in a way that greatly improved the situation. As mentioned, the battalions involved are mainly stationed within the borders of Shalom and carry out continuous operational employment, which allows the IDF to both save on calling up reserve battalions and free the maneuvering forces for training .
About two weeks ago, the IDF announced that the commander of the ground arm decided to appoint Major Or Livni, better known by her maiden name, Or Ben-Yehuda, as the first woman to command a border defense battalion.
Major Livni will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and will serve in the Carakal Battalion, where she grew up as a fighter. Already in October 2014, she received a TLS after attacking terrorists on the Egyptian border.
Integration of female fighters in the IDF also in the new battalion (for illustration), photo: IDF spokesperson
New combat horizons
The establishment of the fifth battalion is possible thanks to the dramatic increase that has occurred in recent years in the number of female fighters in the army.
If in 2014 only 2,295 female fighters served in the IDF, then in 2021 no less than 6,487 female fighters served in the IDF.
According to data from the Human Resources Department, in 2019, 3,617 female fighters enlisted in the IDF, and in the current year, 2022, 4,392 female fighters are planned to enlist - an increase of more than 700 girls.
In recent years, new combat roles have been opened up for women, and among other things, as of November 2020, they can serve as armored fighters (in border protection only).
In 2021, a dedicated path to becoming an officer will be opened for women.
Recently, the IDF announced that they will also open Unit 669 and Yalam for women's service, and establish a mobility department in one of the infantry brigades.
The IDF believes that there are enough women who will volunteer to fight in such a way as to enable the establishment of the 5th Border Protection Battalion, but they believe that as of this time it is not certain that the number of fighting units in the army can be further expanded as long as there is no significant increase in the number of women enlisting and in the number of volunteers for combat.
Against the background of the beginning of the recruitment of the August 22 cohort, the IDF notes that after years in which the number of recruits was at a low point, due to a low birth rate in the relevant yearbooks, there is a noticeable increase in the number of people recruiting to the army due to an increase in birth rates 18 years before the recruitment. The increase is expected to be consistent at least until 2030, and through The increase in the number of recruits The IDF plans to establish additional units in the coming years, including infantry and engineering battalions, as well as to increase the technological units.
The IDF stated regarding the formation of the new battalion: "The headquarters' work on the issue is being conducted in the land arm, but it has not yet been approved by the Chief of the General Staff."
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us