The graduation ceremony for the ‘Alon’ Command and Staff Course, Batch 72, was held this evening (Thursday) at the ‘Dayan’ Camp (Galei Tzad) under the leadership of the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Commander of the Military Colleges, Maj. Gen. Dan Neumann, the Commander of the Joint Command and Staff College, Brig. Gen. Tzion Razon, and other commanders.
The course is completed by 55 male trainees and 4 female trainees, who will be assigned to command positions as battalion commanders, squadron commanders, and company commanders.
“The operational experience you have gained in the last two and a half years is unprecedented,” stated the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. “You have seen the face of war up close. You led soldiers under fire, made life-and-death decisions in fractions of a second, experienced the painful loss of comrades-in-arms, and led to amazing operational achievements. This experience is the IDF’s most valuable asset; it cannot be learned from any military literature – it is written in your blood, sweat, and resourcefulness, and that of your subordinates.”
“In addition, the IDF is challenged from the outside in, with attempts to drag it into political struggles that are not its own,” he added. “The war’s implications on manpower, on force structure, on discipline, on norms, and also on our families at home – are evident and clear. Here too, we will stand as a solid wall – we will do only what is right, with stateliness, responsibility, and humility. We are committed to creating the best conditions for you and for the soldiers who will follow you into battle to cope with the challenges of prolonged warfare.”