non-stop fun

So, a long time haven’t written. Mostly due to laziness I won’t lie! Though, a lot has been going on here. I mean, obviously…it’s been a while since I wrote!

Well well, let me see. I shall have to sum it all up quite shortly otherwise this’ll be more boring than intended.  Since I last wrote we've done an incredible amount of work. It’s like all the time spent doing guarding duty was deliberate just so the last 2ish months of training could be jam-packed with training. I’m talking non-stop. Which is great, makes it exciting. However, when you’re doing nearly 17 hours of hard work with very little break time every day you get rather tired.

I highly doubt that anybody actually remembers what I was talking about with Targil Prat or Targil Chulia, because let’s face it, I’m not so great at explaining (or English in general) and it’s already an extremely foreign concept. But here’s to trying!

All of the following are based on the idea that you are storming a field whilst under attack. Because if not obviously you wouldn't really need to be shooting at all would you?

Prat (personal) = storming the field alone – this is basically a way to learn to fight on your own to prepare you for doing it in larger groups. You’d almost never actually have to do this alone in real “life”.

Chulia (translates to link, but more like a small group, 3-4 people) = storming the field as the group. Each person has a number, this way at all times somebody is covering your back, and also always making sure that everyone is there and ok. As a negivist (machine gunner) I am not actually with the group so much but more off to the side and in front. I am a bit of a free runner. I run when I feel I need to.

Kita (class) = Storming the field as a class. Using three chulia’s. Similar to doing it in the small group of Chulia except that now the class commander is making sure that each chulia works together as a class.

Machlaka (Platoon) = Made of three classes. This is different because you are not storming in a straight line but rather, each class storms a different area. For instance one will storm the first hill, they will then stay there while the second class goes around the base of the hill in stages. It’s basically storming a bigger area while covering one another. Involves a lot of running. A LOT

Pleuga (company) = made of three Machlakot. So take the same idea as Machlaka and multiply. This time a much larger field, and a lot more things cooperation between the Machlakot.

SO. All those took place, and for each drill there is first dry (yelling fire fire fire) and then wet (live fire), all also did day and night. So basically a lot of hard work. Especially since I have the negev, add a lot of weight. Think jumping down into lying position firing a bit, then jumping up and sprinting, REPEAT. But with + 20kg on you. 20 is a downsize as well. I should really have had 35kg on me. Just didn't have all the equipment (not complaining).

During the Kita drill I was lucky enough to dislocate my shoulder. Yes yes, lots of fun. Especially due to the fact that resting after that is pretty well impossible. There is only one Negev in each Kita, and the negev is vital to the drills. So yep. No rest was had. Infact I’m still waiting to get my shoulder scanned to see if I damaged it or no. Let’s hope no, I’m not good at being injured. Keep trying to do things and hurting myself again. Just don’t want to accept it!

During these past few months we did some really cool guarding. My group was working on a road block down near eilat, literally 500m from the Egyptian border. The reason the road block is there at all is because of an attack a few years ago. In short, terrorists came from Egypt shot lots of cars and bus, and because there was no road block at the time, the cars just kept coming-how would they know not to? Anyway, the work was really fun. Crazy hot (like 45degrees), but done in couples and because there were civilians was entertaining. Infact, people would drive past and give us junk foods and drinks. They were all very thankful that we were there.

A couple of really interesting things happened while I was there, can’t really talk in detail. But 1) prisoner transfer in front of me, 2)I personally stopped a suspicious car which was then searched with a dog. 3) closed of the road because of a terrorist at another location further down the road. 4) many times had to look out for certain cars which were reported in the radio.  FUN

 

  

I can't think to much what else we've been doing that's been interesting. I mean we're always doing loads, but interesting to people who aren't in the army... not too sure. 

How's this? If i remember i'll add. Sababa? Excellent!

Oh yeah. I'm currently on base (there's a chance i got in trouble....) I swear i have no idea what's happened. think maybe i need a change, getting tired or something. I'm just not being the soldier i was. This is the second shabbat I've gotten. The first for leaving the showers just in a towel, and this one for being late on returning to base. 

The thing on the showers though. We have three shower heads with hot water and 100 girls.  I say shower heads because our showers are in a small caravan with a section of "showers", it's really horrible. Aside from the fact that it's smelly, there is no room at all. And it's too hot because there are no windows. So really a great situation. We returned from a week in the field, where I'd been doing advanced negev training. In this heat everyone is VERY VERY smelly. We got given our hour off all at once, so its a rush to get in the shower, and not showering is less of an option. So i ran in with no clothes to change into after (everyone does it...just the stupid ones get caught---yes yes, me!) I got yelled at, alot! 

Anyway, till next time, or until i remember more interesting stuff. 

Your not so amazing soldier, Louise. 

why.

And at the best time it possibly could have come, shavua sedach. Update: I am terrible at the starting sentence of these things, so yes, broke all the laws and started with And; get over it Elise. Returning to what I’m talking about that no body has any clue what it is.

Shavua Sedach: The week of training where you do no training, you do tours, talk, lessons and really get to know everybody.

Unfortunatly because of some big wig (Obama) that was in Jerusalem, we only did one outside tours infact didn’t even go to the Kotel (wailing wall), but ultimately it didn’t matter.  

One of the main topics of the week was conflicting values. The issues that occur when your self-values conflict with orders. This is apparently extremely relevant for us when working on the border.  It was interesting to see the honest opinions of everybody. I say honest not because it usually isn’t (absolutely not...i assume everyone is always honest!) Rather, I say honest, because everybody and I mean everybody really opened up. Got to hear many opinions that I didn’t believe excisted, opinions that agreed with my own and some which were somewhere in the middle. 

An example of something that got us talking for hours was the issue of what/who is Israeli. Or more correctly, Israeli vs Jewish.  I was incredibly surprised to hear that a few people thought that leaving Israel for more than a holiday meant that you were no longer Israeli. Even if you were born here, grew up here, did Army service here and then left suddenly you’re no longer Israeli. Just for front I disagreed.  In their eyes also I am Israeli, made aliyah (everyone assumes I have, even though they know I haven’t), serving the country in Combat. Actually, that was another massive talk of the week. Why each of us chose to serve Combat (because all the girls chose it), and what about people that don’t do service when they are mentally and physically able. 

The week really kicked up a notch when we watched the video of Michael Levin. For those who don’t’ know who he was a quick update. Michael Levin, an American who made Aliyah and joined the Parachuters unit in the IDF. When the second Lebanon war began he was at home for his month holiday with his family, this would not do for him. He didn’t feel comfortable not fighting with his brothers. He did everything to be with them. Infact the Army didn’t want to let him back. Told him to wait. Like me, he didn’t like not to get his way when it was something important and so nuddered. He was killed in Combat.  If you’ve got time (50mins) I recommend watching his video, believe his Parents made it, well worth the time.

This talk, followed by a real long think and talk about why I personally chose to up and leave my birth country to enlist and serve in the IDF was exactly what I needed. I explained a little in my last blog that lately I’ve been having a bit of a hard time. To explain, would have been a hard time no matter my surroundings. Simply all bad things that could happen happened, at once. I had talked to my Mefakedet Machlaka (from now on known as Zeldes – tell that story later) and said I needed a break. Explained to her everything and her advice was to separate. That  it’s hard to continue when horrible things are happening and as impossible as it sounds to just disconnect I must try to do just that. To separate home life from army life and when I’m in the here, simply be here. I rightly told her she was crazy, that it was impossible and that I needed a long long break.   Sadly enough, she was correct. (sad because that meant I wasn’t…)

The last week really let me remember  why I came here in the first place. It made me remember those strong feelings that had begun to get buried by my current depressed ones.

For that I’m very glad, because I haven’t been the soldier I know I can be. I haven’t pushed 100% like I should, have been in a sort of cloud of half-assedness (thanks Dad, for the perfect phrase).  That I did everything to enlist in August, that I nuddered the true Louise way and that no part of me doesn’t want to be here. This is the life (well, few years) I chose and I do want to be here. 

But I disagree with former Louise. Used to say that my service wouldn’t make a difference. That I will be just another soldier, that I’m doing this for me and my values. Well no. I can make a difference. Me being here means one more to take the load and because of that I need to be the best I can be.

 

Got off Friday morning (may have gotten a day punishment….everyone else left Thursday night). Yes, so here’s the story:  for a negev I always carry a spare spout (not sure how you’d call the kansap, front of the gun) and my night vision equipment. Yeah super cool right, I have night vision!! Well while we were doing activities (chulia…hard to explain) I left them at the Mazzin (24/7 someone is guarding the area, in this case the shooting range area), and then we were given 5 minutes to run to camp (about 600m away) and change into running shoes for a run (I believe I boasted already about my run with the negev). Well anyway I forgot my kansap and night vision.  Was lucky I forgot it at the mazzin. PHEW.  Anyway it meant that instead of getting of Thursday afternoon I got off Friday morning.

Did a large amount of sleeping, hanging out with friends and cuddling with the cute cat and then topped it off with Pesach Seder.  Had at Carmit’s house (Gali’s mother). Was with humoungous amounts of food. I’m talking enough for another 5 families. Not five people, 5 families! Was all in Hebrew (duh), and I was assured that it wasn’t me, nobody understands it.  Was a lovely night followed by a 11 hour sleep.

Today Aviva and I (yes I slept at Aviva’s) went around Jaffa. Timed it perfectly, afternoon when it wasn’t too hot, weren’t too many people. But still lovely.

That takes us to now. Tomorrow I go back to the army for a week and then another 6 days off. YES.

A period of shitiness

I'd not thought of it before, and it doesn't usually occur to me because of my chilled, "whatever" nature but not everything is so lovely. Especially because i'm in the army, on base the large majority of my time (99% really) there are moments of real shitiness. This past couple of weeks have been a great demonstration of those. Won't go into details but i am very much looking forward to our break-coming up soon.

We really didn't do much in the past couple of weeks. Which also didn't help with the general mood of the group. Been doing shmira (guard duty) non-stop. Moved to our new base for our advanced training. That's good news by the way. So basically been doing guard duty and setting up the new area. We did an amazing job may i say, painted absolutely everything, put up giant tents. But not the most interesting thing to write about.

At least in the past couple of weeks i stepped it up physically, really just want to boast. So...there you go. Running and stuff, that's right!

The past couple of days we did excercies. I have no idea how to translate to english, chulia. Like small groups. It was fun, it was. EXCEPT my negev didn't work at all. I didn't fire at all. So that was excedingly frustrating. I was looking forward to getting rid of some frustration, send it flying though bullets and such. Instead though i lugged around a heavy gun, ran around, rolled around everything. Infact, i impressed myself by doing a 3km run with vest and negev. Less fun halfway though (THIS IS SO LONG AND ANNOYING)

Wednesday night we had our masa sica (our hike for the infantry pin). You don't understand how great it is to finally have that pin. The masa itself was horrifically short. 7km + 1 carrying stretcher. Everyone expected a lot more, at least 10. It just sucks because if our masa sica is only 7 our masa kumpa (end masa for the kumpa(burea)) can't possibly be more than 20. Because everything goes in levels.
 Either way as always the masa was incredible. It's incredible, we get our faces all painted up and this energy gets moved around between the group. Honestly we could do anything with that energy. The masa itself was harder than usual because it was my first with the negev. Luckily or not, because i still don't have my negev vest i couldn't do it with all the bullets therefore 30kg worth of things. I'm not sure if that's good because it means that by the time i do have it all the distances will be longer and i'll be unprepared. It's going to be interesting, that's for sure.

Our Tekes Hashba (swearing in ceremony) was thursday. Meaning practise thursday morning. The ceremony was great. Made 10000% better by having people there for me. In fact i had quite the supportive group. Aviva, Carmit Tal and Rotem (the bar-on clan), Daniel and Michael and even the three girls; Marcy, Yasmeen and Brigitta. Infact the girls gave me the biggest surprise. Thought they wouldn't be able to get it off.



This coming week we are in Jerusalem touring around, likely to be a great time. But best of all, we get of thursday again. A nice short week out of the regular routine. 

I hope for all that the next post is slightly more positive, i'm sure it shall be.

Till next time.

Oh, i did forget to mention, i had a whole massive bunch of interviews. Once on the phone but on the day of the ceremony had one with photos (not so fun...i'm as usual not so photogenic). Then got a call from the girl who's in charge of interviews (not completely sure what her job is), saying it was terrible i'd left already because there was someone else that wanted to interview me. Didn't realise i was so interesting...there you go! :D

Black and Blue

Well it's been a significantly large amount of time since the last update and for that i really do apologise. I think however (what a terrible apology if i go straight away to justify myself), that you'll understand.

The last time i wrote i believe was just before the first week of Hagnam. I have absolutly no idea what that is in english, in hebrew too i'm fairly clueless...so helpful stuff really... Well anyway, it means that we do guarding and cleaning duties for a week. It means alot of not sleeping, a lot of cleaning stuff that really doesn't make sense to clean and a lot of being cranky. That week in particular was horrible. It was the week when Israel decided to become freezing, rainy and push people over strength windy. Not such great fun if people are getting hypothermia (see, i'm not just whinging), you're having to wake up in your small amount of sleep to fix the tent which is falling down on you (in the freezing rain) and well anyway, i think you get the picture.
 The funniest cleaning duty that i did, which at the time i assure you i was not laughing: Sweeping leaves off the road and putting them in the bin. Lodgical i guess....NO. not when it's 65km/h wind and freezing ice cold rain. Please tell me the lodgic behind sweeping up leaves in that. In fact i clearly remember ranting about the stupidness of the task (in hebrew, BOO YE) at the time.

Luckily i wasn't there the whole time because i went to pick Daddy up from the airport. They were rather nice to me and even let me leave the wednesday afternoon because Daddy's flight arrived early thursday morning. Was incredible to see Daddy, unfortunately the weather was a bit horrible but we were tough cookies and walked around in the cold rain regardless.

Daddy and i didn't get up to too much that weekend. Did a large amount of walking around Tel Aviv and an even bigger amount of drinking coffee, which is always very funny because coffee makes me CRAZY.


The following army week was one of the best i've had so far. Called Shavua Prat (or personal week) It's aimed to teach us how to storm an area alone. Not something we'd ever actually do (being alone that is), but it's the start to learning how to do with groups. It was hard because of the commands i had to learn. But such incredible fun. You're running forward, stopping behind rocks, rolling and covering your team with fire. We did it a couple of times without fire just yelling ASH ASH ASH (fire fire fire) and then it was my turn to do it for real. Suddenly the sky opens up and its storming. First we put on our halfas (basically a pant and top waterproof uniform to put over the normal one) and then i'm doing my drill. I can confirm that everything is a million times more fun when it's muddy and rainy. I surprisingly even hit most targets (13/15).

Dana and Stela, two of my favourite girls.

The next week we were in Shetach (field) again, i swear we are never on base, we live in the field. Which is surprisingly excellent. I'm glad i enjoy camping, lucky with that one. The best part of that week however was that they made us a campfire.


Unfortunately i can't remember anything significant about the rest of that week, could be because it was quite a long time ago and well my memory isn't very good. So let's just use imagination and say i did lots of crazy hard stuff... super soldier and that.


That weekend i went to meet Daddy in Jerusalem. I'm not sure why but i always think that i don't like Jerusalem. Well aparrently i do like it quite a lot, it's beautiful. We were staying on the Mount of Olives which is in the Christian Quarter and the view was phenominal. Spent the weekend walking around the Old City, walked ontop of the city wall, walked underneath the Western wall we did it ALL. Oh yes, funny moment when Dad and i were posing for a self photo i may have jumped up and ripped my jeans extremelly hardcore in the crotch. Which left me walking around the religious areas with  a large hole in my jeans crotch. Funny stuff.

and this picutre caused my a crotch rip.

The next week much of the same, guarding, learning, and then i made a mistake. They needed a volunteer to close Shabbat. Generally this is not needed as people have to stay for punishment, but this week my Machlaka was well behaved (relatively) and so when they needed a volunteer i was quick enough to put myself up-guilty conscience i think.

But then, but then, we got given our Pakal's. A pakal is the position in the troop.There are many many positions; sharp shooter, section commander, Matol (matol is an addition to the regular Micro Tavour which lets you shoot grenades as well), Mag (the Machine Automatic Gun), Negev (a light Machine gun), Field medic, communications (remember that radio i was talking about a while back, yep). Anyway, the point is i got given the Negev, WOOOOO,. But wait, not all good. I got given the negev and then got told that to be it i would have to move classes. Well i responded not well at all. You all know i'm sure that when i'm tired i cry. Tired Louise hears this news and doesn't react well. I cried alot. In fact i had a day where i just didn't stop. Tough tough me. A cute moment was when i was summoned to talk to my commander while she was doing gate duty(checking cars etc), as i said previously i couldn't stop crying. So i'm there saying that i would give up my Negev position to be in the class. That there was no way i would leave the class. As i'm saying this and crying she says Louise stop crying because i want to cry too, i really don't want you to leave the class. Her eyes are all teary and she hugs me (totally not normal at all for a commander to do that). Ultimately i still don't know what's happening with the whole class situation, but i did the week of training anyway. Which brings us up to last week.


First of all i'm given my new Gun, 7.4kg of it. Yep. I don't think anything will ever be heavy to me again. The week consisted of us running around in very little time frames, one of the commanders that took the Negevistim group told us she didn't believe in minutes. So everything was 50 seconds, 10 seconds. Impossible time frames essentially.
 It was an incredible week, hard but great. Learning everything new because with the Negev everything is different.  One of the coolest things though is the night lens we use. It's one eyed but exactly like in the movies. Everything is green but like day light. You can see very clearly.
We shot distances from 25m to 300 on single and of course automatic. But really the best thing we did was lighting up the night sky. I shall explain; the negev uses green and red bullets. Green are regular and red are for the middle and the end of the chain, so that you know where you are (there's an order of course). We shot red bullets at night and it was incredible. Like fireworks. A small part of me considered where the hell the bullets land...i mean the Negev fires up to 1000m. Who knows!


The last night they told us were were going home, of course after all was packed up and organised they decided to tell us that no, infact we were going to stay that night as well. Oh how everyone got grumpy. Seriously seriously grumpy.  The commanders did redeem themselves however, bought us a bunch of junkfood drinks and would you believe it even a packet of cigarettes.


The week ended spectacularly with them letting us leave thursday afternoon. This did mean however that i went back on public transport after a week in the field, without showering. And that photo is before i'd cleaned the gun. After cleaning i was completely black. Infact my hands are still significantly blackened (and it's saturday night).


Anyway, since we got off thursday afternoon it meant that i could finally go rockclimbing for free in Tel Aviv. Incredible fun even when you're 10000000% tired.


And well that brings us up to now. To a bruised, blackened and increasingly strong Louise.


Next time hopefully won't be too far away, though we are closing shabbat again. OH forgot to mention, on thursday i got off base after 20 days. Yep closed 20 days on base. Bummer.


All my love,

Having a not very excellent time

Unfortunately this is not an interesting nor happy post. My week was a bit of a failure. Was meant to be a week camping out at the shooting range. Not quite what happened in the end.

31st of December i had a doctors appointment at the hospital. Unfortunately i was not pre-warned about the hugeness of the hospital. I'm talking small city size. After walking around blindly for an hour i finally asked directions this resulting in me being given a lift. Without that lift i never would have found the department i needed. That was the most interesting part of my week. Seriously.

When i finally made it to base, because i was a late entry (due to the doctors appointment) everyone was ws already out at the shooting range. This situation stayed the same for the next day. I was put on kitchen duty, AGAIN. The only positive aspect of this is the fact that being on base means your not close to catching pneumonia. Infact some people DID get pneumonia.

The last day of the week was "day of sport", a good break from the army...with everyone from the army.  I didn't end up actually participating in sport as such, but made a fairly great cheerleader if i may say so myself.

And well, that's my week. Not too exciting as i said, but hey not every week can be great! Anyway i get to see Daddy this thursday so all is excellent. :D Very very excited.

Hope i'll be more exciting next time.