A Month in a Nutshell

If you check my recent posts, you'll see that the last time I posted was October 29th, a month and one day ago. However, this past month has not been my typical month. Unlike the past 7 months where I barely made it out of my base or my Kibbutz, this month has been filled with the ultimate challenges, the most fulfilling of joys, and a trip home after a year and three months of not stepping foot in the United States.

On the evening of October 29th, myself, my platoon, and essentially the entire Paratroopers draft class, embarked on the start of War Week, a nine day challenge where we essentially simulated what it is like to be in a war. I left that night with about 90-100 pounds on my back, walking a short 2 kilometers to our first drill, where our battalion was tasked with conquering a fake town. From there we walked about 4 kilometers to our next drill, and the week went on like that.

You might imagine War Week to be one of the most complex things in the world, but it was relatively simple. We walked a lot, did many drills (both with and without live fire), and in between we slept and ate. There really isn't too much more to it. However, despite the simplicity, the week was tough. With the 90-100 pounds of weight I was carrying, we walked kilometers on end, at one point even walking 17 kilometers in a row. This week tested my strength and preservation, and no matter how much my back and shoulders killed me, I had to keep going.

On top of that, the drills were relatively interesting. The most drills we ever did in a week was 14, and that included both dry and wet runs. This week we performed, if I would have to estimate, close to 25-30 drills. Furthermore, unlike past weeks, these weeks had a bit more of spice. We had several drills where either as a platoon (~35-40 guys) or a battalion (~140-150 guys) we were tasked with conquering a pretend village. There were several two-sided drills where soldiers would act as a fake enemy, and we specifically learned what it meant to trudge quietly making sure the enemy wouldn't notice us until we wanted to "open fire" (these drills were obviously not done with real fire, that would not be smart). On top of that, we had many drills in different types of terrains, with different goals, and with different tasks given to each squad within the group. This variety allowed us to practice to our best ability, becoming more ready to enter different types of situations.

The hardest part about any of these weeks, at least in my opinion, is simply living in nature for the duration of the week. Since this was 9 days, it meant 9 days of sleeping outside (specifically in the freezing cold of the desert at night in November), 9 days using the wilderness as my bathroom, 9 days of only occasionally changing cloths, 9 days of eating the same food for every meal, and 9 days where I didn't step inside any building, asides for the fake ones we were tasked with conquering. This means that at the end of the week, the most exciting thing is getting to take a shower and go on your phone, feeling like a real person again.

These weeks, no matter how tough they are, come to an end. We came back to base early Tuesday morning, on the 8th of November, and had a great night of sleep on base. We woke up to a full day of logistical work, which we continued into the next day, until Wednesday afternoon.

The final hurdle in training, which is the same for all the other infantry units (Nahal, Givati, Golani and Kfir), is the infamous Masa Kumta (beret march). After 7-8 months of training, the marker that it has finished is receiving the beret of your unit, and each unit has a different color beret. For the Paratroopers, our beret is red, and 8 months of training isn't enough to earn it, one more task is needed to get it done.

The Masa Kumta is a 50 kilometer march where we trek from around Beit Shemesh to Jerusalem, where we weave through the hilly mountains leading into the capitol city. The march ultimately ends at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, the spot of the infamous Paratrooper battle that took place during the Six Day War.

While War Week was a drawn out physical and mental challenge, this march might have been the toughest single physical thing we could have done. Unlike the other marches which we have done around our base, the sole fact that this was located near Jerusalem meant that this would be anything but flat. The entire march we were fast-walking either on an incline or a decline, and yes when I say fast-walking, it is annoyingly fast the pace we walk at. This march tested everyone, and especially once we got to kilometer 20-40, the struggle was real for a lot of people. I was helping to push many people forward as we all knew that despite the pain we might feel in our legs now, not only is the end of the march nearing, but so too is the end of training and everything we have worked towards the past 8 months.

*Photo with my platoon as we entered the morning of the final march

We continued to walk, and once we made it past the 40 km mark, I think the stress began to simmer. At that point, we soon after opened stretchers and went for another 4-5 kilometers, marking the final sprint of the march. However, what comes next, while not the end, is the special part.

As is tradition, through the final several kilometers of the march, parents and families join in on the celebration. The fast walk becomes a simple stroll in the park, and the jubilation of finally finishing this intense training period becomes tangible. It is at this moment, dead as a possum and tired as ever, that I see my parents and brother, and they join along with me as I finish the march with them. These last 2 kilometers were easy going, meaningful, and completely worth the struggle it took to get there.

*My parents coming from NY for the ceremony

We then finish the march, make it to Ammunition Hill, and take part in the ceremony where we all receive our red berets, marking the end of training. This ceremony, while all the soldiers are walking zombies after 30 hours awake and a 50 kilometer march, is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding moments of the entire process, and certainly a day I won't forget.

*Receiving the red beret at the ceremony

After the ceremony I was with my parents for the week, and also taking part in the post-training celebrations. I prepared for my trip home to America, which became more complicated than it should be because of the incompetence of the army, and then just last Wednesday I arrived in America after a year and three months away. This past week has been meaningfully overwhelming, seeing many family and friends I haven't seen in a while, and filled with the joys of home that I have missed for so long.

Now I am excited to kick back and enjoy my time in America, and on December 23rd I will be back, ready for some new adventures.