“Everyone knew this would happen, even when we left the Gaza Strip,” Lt. N., a company commander in Battalion B of the Golani Reconnaissance Unit, prepares us for what happened only a month and a half later – the rolling team evaluation that concluded last week with the announcement of the winners. Thus, over three days, seven exercises, and dozens of kilometers of walking and climbing – the reconnaissance unit summarized its training period.
“The idea is to practice combat in a northern scenario with missions that push the soldiers to their limits,” explains the commander, “especially after a month and a half of training outside of operational activity. During this period, we accomplished quite a bit – we started with equipment inspections, moved on to training, a week of live fire at the training base, and afterwards, debriefing days, primarily for the mind and spirit.”
Last week, the entire reconnaissance unit was launched into a challenge from ‘Area 100’ – the training base identified with the Brown Reconnaissance Unit. “Every hour, a different force would set out on the first mission, and from there, everything essentially rolled,” describes Lt. N., “Within minutes, we put on our gear, loaded our weights, and began advancing towards the mountains surrounding the base.”
Among the scenarios, the ‘Decoy’ exercise stood out, combining a specialized combat technique in an unconventional area. “What’s being tested here is the scanning and clearing of a dense agricultural area, where it’s harder to detect danger – and it’s significantly different from the skills commonly used in the Gaza Strip.”
About 24 hours into the evaluation, in the late night hours, the soldiers reached the summit of Mount Avitar. “The night was getting colder, and as we were climbing, heavy rain began to fall. In such a situation, besides putting on storm suits and lifting each other’s spirits, there’s not much else to do. This is precisely the goal when evaluating a team.”
According to the company commander, to train soldiers who have already experienced actual maneuver, a different kind of challenge is required: “Everyone has already fired and is familiar with real operational routine. To plan an exercise that ‘holds up,’ you need a real challenge. This time, it was the terrain – high mountains, rocks, climbing, and stormy weather.”
The team evaluation concluded with a stretcher-carrying march uphill towards the summit of Mount Meron. “We advanced for three to four hours to the summit. In Gaza, the emphasis is on short leaps and sprints. Here, we were again required to walk on a slope and carry sandbags on the stretchers.”
At the end of the competition, the commanders, with the assistance of mentors who closely observed the soldiers and evaluated their teamwork and the spirit they demonstrated, announced the winner. The team of Lt. N. received the title and the prize.
But for him, the true measure is deeper: “In the end, what characterizes a team in the Golani Reconnaissance Unit is camaraderie, and it’s not for nothing that they tell us during basic training, ‘These are your friends for life.’ As a company commander, I see it with my own eyes. They are a group of professionals hungry for achievements and missions, and for the upcoming mission we are preparing for – they will arrive with great momentum.”
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