22/5/0
In the ground forces there are 130 thousand people, they serve in three armored and three infantry divisions, three motorized infantry and two parachute brigades. The Navy consists of 5 squadrons, which are based at the ports of Haifa, Ashdod (Mediterranean Sea) and Eilat (Red Sea). In peacetime their number is about 10 thousand officers and sailors, in wartime it doubles. The Israeli Air Force – "Heil Avir" – is the main strike weapon of the IDF.
They consist of 21 air squadrons, which include 474 combat aircraft and 137 helicopters. More than half of them are American interceptors and fighter-bombers F-15 and F-16 of various modifications, the rest are Israeli "Kfir" fighters. In addition, the Air Force has 28 anti-aircraft missile batteries equipped with "Hawk" and "Patriot" SAM systems.
The armed forces of Israel are manned by conscription; all citizens of the country who have reached 18 years of age are subject to it: men up to 29 years old, unmarried women up to 24. This rule does not apply to Arabs, both Muslims and Christians, except for Druze and Bedouins, who join the army and border guard voluntarily. By the way, about 10% of military personnel are immigrants from the former USSR. The term of active service for men is three years, for women two.
In the Israeli armed forces there are two uniforms: everyday (also field) and dress. Neither in cut nor in material quality does the uniform of soldiers, officers and generals differ; their rank can only be determined by patches and shoulder boards. Servicemen of the three branches of the armed forces also differ in uniform color – khaki, gray and cream. Their affiliation with branches of the military and even individual units can be determined by the color of the kumta (beret).
In Israel, there are very few military awards; soldiers and officers are awarded them extremely sparingly. It is not customary to wear awards; they are replaced by ribbons on the tunic. The highest distinction is the title "Hero of Israel". It is awarded for an outstanding feat that fundamentally changed the situation on the battlefield, saved many lives. Only 12 people have been awarded this title during the entire existence of the State of Israel. Of them, only three are alive today.
Another very important feature of the relationships among Israeli military personnel is their absolute democracy. Formal address by rank or position is used, as a rule, only in formation. In other cases, regardless of rank, they address each other only by first name and with the informal "you". Strict observance of uniform is required only on duty, mainly in formation. Saluting is not used at all, which is not found in any other civilized army. Minimal attention is paid to drill; the slogan "Our army is for battle, not for parade" is popular.
The second in order, but not in importance, component of the Israeli armed forces is the reserve corps, which numbers 425 thousand people. Upon mobilization, they deploy 8 armored, 3 infantry and one airmobile division, 10 motorized infantry, 3 parachute brigades, 20 artillery and 9 aviation regiments.
Service in the reserve continues for men up to 55 years, for women up to 38. Each of them during this time undergoes annual training in their unit, lasting up to 6 weeks. As a rule, reservists are assigned to those units and subunits that they can reach no later than 12 hours after the announcement of mobilization. For those abroad, the time is extended to two days.
• By the way, tactical clothing is characteristic not only of the military. Today, military-style jackets, camouflage suits, tactical shirts and specialized footwear are widely used. Hiking enthusiasts, hitchhikers and ordinary tourists can buy comfortable clothing in the stores of the TM "Militarka" chain.
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