—Israeli “Desert Cat” female soldiers—
( knows the global creation of )
The location of Israeli female soldiers
Israel , from the very beginning of the founding of the country, it has been proudly titled as a country "even women serve", so that Israeli female soldiers later became the benchmark for female soldiers in the world.
During the Israeli War of Independence, women actively participated in the war. Not only could they go to the battlefield like male soldiers, but they could also fly fighter planes.
Despite this, the results show that female soldiers have always played a lower role in the Israeli army.
In fact, female soldiers serving in the military have less rights than male soldiers. Their personal qualities were not taken into account, and the various units of the Jewish army were closed to them.
But that all changed in the early 1990s. Beautiful Israeli female soldiers collectively submitted a petition to the Israeli High Court against unfair treatment by the military. They achieved their goal and women were allowed to join combat units.
Girls were allowed to join the artillery, air force flying schools and tank corps.
Israeli "Caracal" Infantry Battalion
In 2000, the Israeli "Caracal" Infantry Battalion was born. At that time, it was not an army establishment but existed in the form of a company.
The name "caracal" is derived from a carnivore in the Arava Desert. The males and females of this animal are indistinguishable in appearance. This animal is called "desert cat" or "desert lynx" by local people. It can adapt to harsh environments, is agile, and is good at hiding.
In the Israeli "Caracal" infantry battalion, there are not only female soldiers, but its organizational model is: male soldiers: girls = 1:2.
The predecessor of the Israeli "Caracal" infantry battalion is a volunteer service organization: there are boy scouts and soldiers, among whom the soldiers devote part of their services to causes that are beneficial to society - for example: supporting children in need.
Girls who serve in Israel's Caracal infantry battalion are now required to sign a pledge to serve for an additional year (normally in Israel, men serve in the army for three years, while women serve two years).
In order to further introduce the "Caracal" better, I feel it is very necessary to explain the current situation of the IDF infantry battalion and the combat training its soldiers receive.
Combat training in Israel is determined by levels:
1, rear soldier, category 02.
2, the combat infantry unit soldier category is 07.
3. After reaching the level of sergeant, three months of course training is required. Category 08.
4, combat force officer category 012.
After enlisting in the Israeli "Caracal" infantry battalion, girls will receive Category 05 after 4 months, and then undergo advanced training for 2.5 months to obtain Category 07. After that, they will have to undergo exercises for 2 to 4 months and participate in actual combat operations to obtain Category 08. This process takes one year and two months.
During this process, some female soldiers have to undergo various special courses (platoon sniper "shooter" - mortar - grenade launcher , etc.).
After completing the above training, some female soldiers with the most outstanding leadership skills will be sent to sergeant courses, while the rest of the female soldiers will be transferred to the "old-timer" units: learning assault and auxiliary.
Among the "old" units, there are reconnaissance, sniper, tank destroyer, units, etc. After arriving in these units, soldiers will take additional courses in new specializations.
The current situation of the "Caracal" Infantry Battalion
The "Caracal" Infantry Battalion did not receive much attention at first. The unit does not have its own "badge" - the unit's personal badge on the shoulder is 05, which seems to be combat, but not quite, because only the border guards, engineering and engineer units have this;
It is not surprising that the "Caracal" infantry battalion was not taken seriously at that time. The unit had many scandals at the time, such as improper relationships between soldiers and commanders, and mission execution so poorly that outsiders called the "Desert Cats" "Rabbits."
So much so that the "Caracal" infantry battalion, whose current situation was worrying at that time, attracted the attention of the Israel Defense Forces and decided to impose strict military discipline.
The Israel Defense Forces first upgraded the "Caracal" infantry battalion to the combat force level - level 07. The purpose of this is to restrict the relationship between men and women in the troops, and even stipulate that couples who are in the same army cannot exceed the boundaries of external etiquette.
This drastic reform has indeed transformed the "Caracal" infantry battalion: it has repeatedly intercepted drug smuggling and made desert armed terrorists frightened.
During their service in the "Caracal" infantry battalion, female soldiers received the same combat training courses as male soldiers and acquired the same skills. Girls not only have to learn to become machine gunners and mortar operators, but they also have to carry their own machine gun with a net weight of 7.6 kilograms and a mortar with a weight of 11 kilograms.
Later, due to their outstanding performance, the female soldiers of the "Caracal" Infantry Battalion were awarded to wear the light green berets and "red" paratrooper boots of the Nahar Brigade.
In the "Caracal" infantry camp, it seems that there is no difference in the treatment of male soldiers and female soldiers. However, female soldiers do not need to carry heavy objects, and it is generally the job of male soldiers.
Because the army takes into account the special characteristics of women's bodies, it is difficult to carry combat equipment weighing dozens of kilograms, so the humane equipment area is specially equipped for girls.
In addition, the "Caracal" infantry battalion has also adjusted its physical training plan based on the special characteristics of women's bodies - because female soldiers experience more fatigue microfractures during strenuous exercise than men.
Joining the "Caracal" Infantry Battalion
Ordinary female soldiers who want to join the "Caracal" Infantry Battalion combat unit must go through a two-day special selection.
Only a lucky few can pass the exam, the rate is almost one third.
In 2009, the first Arab woman, Eleanor Joseph, was drafted into the IDF infantry fighters. Eleanor is a Christian originally from the village of Gish in Galilee . Her father also served in the Israeli army. She aspired to enter the combat force, and among other things, she completed a four-month medical command course and graduated with honors.
Now, the "Caracal" infantry battalion combat unit is led by a 35-year-old lieutenant colonel. He previously served in the Israeli special forces and was good at capturing terrorists by pretending to be Arabs.
Previously, he led a special forces unit of the Nahar Brigade and participated in many military operations, including the Second Lebanon War and the Cast Lead War.
In 2011, as the border between Israel and Egypt began to heat up, the leader was asked to take charge of the Caracal.
As recently as 2011, Israel's border with Egypt began to heat up, smugglers went to great lengths to smuggle weapons and drugs into Israel, and the flow of migrants from Sudan and Eritrea increased dramatically, mostly from the Muslim Gaza Strip and Sinai. Terrorists frequently tried to infiltrate Israel.
To this day, this leader leads the "Caracal" infantry battalion to guard the endless desert.
He admitted frankly: At first, everyone was not optimistic about the "Caracal Cat". However, after the "Caracal"'s long-term outstanding combat performance, the views of most male soldiers have changed.
At present, the "Caracal" battalion does not have its "own" reserve force - before demobilization, many soldiers received special rescue courses: they know the desert and the border very well, and after demobilization, most of them will be called up by the logistics force to serve as reserves for emergencies.
So far, the officers of the "Caracal" unit are mainly from other units, and there are only a few female infantry officers.
Because the army can see from the current situation: Although the "Caracal Cat" battalion is in demand, it is still in the experimental stage.
However , Despite this, the "Caracal Cat" battalion continued to participate in combat operations, accumulate experience and win reputation. And, most likely, there will come a time when those girls who work hard, beyond the "male" jobs, will no longer be seen as oddities in the military.
