Brig. Gen. Yaniv Baruch took over as commander of the National Ground Training Center, replacing Brig. Gen. Eliad Moati (Me’or), who served in this role for the past year.
The handover ceremony took place yesterday (Sunday) at the National Ground Training Center, presided over by the Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan, and attended by commanders, bereaved families, and other guests.
“The Ground Training Center operated throughout the war in preparing forces for their entry into battle and for rapid transitions between arenas,” said the Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Nadav Lotan. “It trained entire brigades for the maneuver. The Ground Training Center has transformed into an effective organization that operates for every need. The Ground Training Center is a critical link in the Arm’s ability to prepare its forces for war. It is an essential asset for ground readiness. In the war, the Ground Training Center magnificently embodied its unique character – initiative, mission-orientation, professionalism, and dedication to the goal. This is the character of a winning body – this is the Ground Forces at their best.”
“Moati, my dear friend and subordinate – all of this also applies to you as commander of the Ground Training Center – the exact same character,” he continued. “Initiative, professionalism, and absolute commitment to the mission and to the people. You led with great leadership, overcoming many challenges with unwavering determination – I trusted you without limits. You were an outstanding commander. As the Arm’s commander, I personally thank you for your unique contribution, and I am grateful that I had the privilege of you commanding this very important place during this critical time. You brought to the role experience, professionalism, and care for the people and for the readiness of the Ground Forces.”
“Baruch, I am confident that you are the right person for this mission,” he stated. “You are a professional, thorough, systematic, and creative officer. As a brigade commander, you led the Kfir Brigade in preparations for battle in an exceptional manner. I chose you out of an important understanding that the war generation of commanders will lead the next readiness. You come with a wealth of lessons and insights. I, the Arm’s staff, and the division commanders are with you hand in hand. You will change, build, and wake up every morning with the desire to strengthen and bring us all more prepared for the next phase of the campaign.”
“Upon entering my role, I defined the mission as training the Ground Forces together with professional quality and relevance,” stated the outgoing commander of the National Ground Training Center, Brig. Gen. Eliad Moati (Me’or). “To solve problems for the IDF at a high pace and in cooperation. The personnel of the Ground Training Center – it is thanks to you that we fulfilled the mission with honor. We trained, served, and solved many problems. We acted responsibly, fulfilled our responsibility, and even expanded it. We did the best with what we had, we acted with integrity, honesty, and built trust. We were the most service-oriented towards the training units, and we took pride in providing service – we saw it as a privilege.”
“Baruch, I am happy that you are taking on this very significant role,” he said. “You excelled as commander of the Kfir Brigade in the war, and you brought it to operational peak with professionalism and forward-thinking command. You are one of the outstanding and high-quality field commanders of the IDF. I am sure you will lead the Center to new heights.”
“On October 7, 2023, I was the commander of the Kfir Brigade,” shared the commander of the National Ground Training Center, Brig. Gen. Yaniv Baruch. “And like many in the IDF, I jumped and mobilized my soldiers to fight very difficult battles in the Gaza envelope communities, without being called up, without situational awareness, without resources – simply to run and fight. Since then, for two full years, I commanded and fought. Continuously and with determination.”
“The Ground Training Center has done wonderful and extraordinary work over the three years of the war,” he continued. “I remember my first encounter with the Ground Training Center during the war, on the night of the end of a long and difficult battle in Kibbutz Re’im, just a few kilometers from here. I decided to go on a patrol around the kibbutz, and there I met the personnel of the Ground Training Center evacuating and rescuing, quietly, heroically, demonstrating initiative, sensitivity, and proactivity. This is how you operated and continue to operate throughout the war, preparing the Ground Forces, learning operational lessons, changing and adapting in light of the shaking and complex reality.”
“You trained tens of thousands of regular and reserve fighters and commanders – wherever needed, there you found the Ground Training Center,” they added. “Its secret is its people – regular men and women, excellent career personnel and officers, determined and professional, who operate with immense dedication and there is no mission they cannot accomplish. This miracle we must guard with all our might, nurture and develop as much as possible. Our strength is in our people.”
“Moati, you are handing over command of the Ground Training Center today after a very significant and high-quality command period. Great appreciation for the professional, quality, and service-oriented leadership, and especially for the spirit of command you instilled: willingness to solve problems, to succeed with what is available. Personal thanks for a genuine, honest, direct handover, one that allowed me a quality and in-depth learning journey.”
