Shooting and Health all in one week

This week was one of the toughest and most fun weeks I have ever had in my life.

Sunday:

We arrived to the base and had a class all day (and well into the night) on first aid. The course is to certify all combat soldiers in basic first aid. That way they can help other soldiers in the field while they wait for the medic. The course included the basic first aid things (heat stroke, dehydration, snake/scorpions/spider bites, hypothermia and many other things) The course also included what to do if a soldier is in the field and his group happened to be attacked with a grenade. We learned how to tie a tourniquet, where to apply pressure, what to do and then whom to call.

Monday:

We finished off the first aid course, took a test (which everyone passed) and then we moved bases. The new base is somewhere farther south of the past base and looks very much the same. While I’m sure that most of the readers have been through a move in their life (I have been through 4 but can only remember 3) But there is nothing like a whole pluga (large group of soldiers consisting of 300+) moving. Everything from beds, cots, bags, plates, basically anything everyone needs for living had to be moved.

Tuesday:

We started the day at our new base. We also started shooting today. We learned all about the safety at the gun range and rules. We also learned how to shoot and how to improve our shooting. Out of 6 bullets I got all 6 on the paper. At night, we went on a masa (journey) for 4km. It was incredibly cool to see all the shooting stars and the night sky.

Wednesday:

More shooting. This time we learned on how to improve our body positions and how to improve what we do when we shoot so our shots are better. This time we were only given 5 bullets and again I got all 5 on the sheet. At night we did some sprints and a lot of pushups. We also went through all our gear and loaded up our magazines. Now whenever we walk anywhere (even if it’s to the bathroom, we need to have two magazines with us and the gun. The reason is so that we can always be ready in case we need to be.

Thursday:

We woke up early this morning and were only given 45 seconds to be outside our tent with whatever we had on and a gun and magazines. The idea was to train up to be ready for a time of war, when you have no time at all to get dressed and fit. Then we were told to put on a white shirt with our name on it and follow the Mifacdem to the Krav Maga place. wow. Krav Maga for the army is nothing like you think it would be. Back home I took 1 year of Krav. It was a lot of fun, back home because 30 min you are doing cardio work and 30. min you learn technique and fit. Here, class is for an hour or more (we weren't allowed to wear watches) and the whole time we spent running sprints and having to be in the push-up position, without having our knees touch the ground. There was no fighting or anything. It was really tough and the reason why the class is set up like this is because when we have to use Krav, it I all intensity and constant fighting spirit. "There needs to be a switch in the mind that now we are fighting and not in training or on base or anything, juts Krav" - as according to my M'M (Mifaced Machlaca - 22 people group)

Then rest of the day, I was put on tornaut duty. That means that instead of going into the field and shooting, like in the previous days, I had to stay back, near the tents, and help the rasap (the one in charge of cleanliness and order for the tents, food and everything else.) It was a tough job because there had been a lot of wind the night before and continued into the day and all the tents fell, so we had to spend the entire day cleaning up the tents and putting them back together. At night, a bunch of religious people came to the base and we lit the Hannukiah and ate sufganiout (jelly donuts) for Hanukkah, Of course, as tornaut, I had to first help set up the room of the candle lighting ceremony and then hand out jelly donuts and only at the end did I get one. It was a fun day though and the rasap said I was the best toran he has had in a while.

Throughout the week, one thing that has not yet stopped to amaze me is how much Israelis go out of their way to help me understand things that I usually won’t. For example, during the course for the first aid, all the Olyim Hadashiem (new immigrants) were taken to a special class and were taught the material in a lower level Hebrew and at a slower pace. Also during the test, if something wasn’t clear, the teacher would repeat the question in English for all of us. The other example is that my kita (class – 11 soldiers) has to teach me 10 New Hebrew words every day. The Mifaced checks to make sure they do this by asking me at night what words. Also, whenever we are learning something, such as the grenade launcher or something else, if I don’t understand something, everyone is willing to help me understand. Usually, at the end of the course someone says: “I love how if you don’t understand something you ask. That’s the most important thing and we will always be there to explain it to you. (The sentence was repeated to me from soldiers, my mifaced, my Samal (sergeant) and the rasap.)

The other thing I learned this week is how much I miss hot food. Just like in the gibbush, we were given only field rations (tuna, corn, pineapple, halva and the two new foods in a can; vegetable spread and spicy tuna.) Hopefully next week we will finally be taken back to the cafeteria for some real food.

Hag Sameach to all.