1/30-2/5
Sunday
Woke up early and was put to work on the base for the day but I had guard duty for like 4 hours anyway
Woke up early and was put to work on the base for the day but I had guard duty for like 4 hours anyway
It started to rain hard so the commanders decided they were going to do some practice drills. Shooting positions, crawling, and running. I was soaked covered in dirt, and freezing for the rest of the day.
Monday
We practiced our shooting all day and it rained too hard so we couldn’t shoot at night, and we were supposed to sleep in the field but didn't end up doing that
Tuesday
Shooting ranges again. At the end of the day we had to start drinking our canteens. Which usually means we have a masa (long march). We ended up having a huge workout class with the whole plugah. It was a workout that the American army uses to get stronger quickly.
Wednesday
Today is the last day of shooting for basic training. We had night shooting that was horrible because it was freezing outside and you can’t move
2/6-2/12
Monday
We practiced our shooting all day and it rained too hard so we couldn’t shoot at night, and we were supposed to sleep in the field but didn't end up doing that
Tuesday
Shooting ranges again. At the end of the day we had to start drinking our canteens. Which usually means we have a masa (long march). We ended up having a huge workout class with the whole plugah. It was a workout that the American army uses to get stronger quickly.
Wednesday
Today is the last day of shooting for basic training. We had night shooting that was horrible because it was freezing outside and you can’t move
2/6-2/12
Sun-
Got to base normal time. We go to the field tomorrow. I am prepared with a lot of protein bars. I live off them. We set up camp at an old shooting range. We trained on 4 different mountains the whole week. Every meal the whole week was, Tuna, beans, corn, canned pineapple, halva(sesame snack) water.
Very hard to sleep in these small tents that fit no more than you and your equipment, but you have 2 people and the equipment.
No shower all week, your covered in oil from the tuna, and gun oil, and dirt, and who knows what else.
Got to base normal time. We go to the field tomorrow. I am prepared with a lot of protein bars. I live off them. We set up camp at an old shooting range. We trained on 4 different mountains the whole week. Every meal the whole week was, Tuna, beans, corn, canned pineapple, halva(sesame snack) water.
Very hard to sleep in these small tents that fit no more than you and your equipment, but you have 2 people and the equipment.
No shower all week, your covered in oil from the tuna, and gun oil, and dirt, and who knows what else.
We did a run with all our equipment on this week. Very hard. Then dry exercises, for a few hours was hard but fun. Thursday morning we woke up to find out we have a long masa (hike) 16+3km (12 Miles) . You get a rush of energy when you find out.I brought some sucking candies for everyone in my pocket , to give some energy
.I was with my Mag. It’s a heavy machine gun and not comfortable to hold. My leg muscle pulled in the middle and I switch guns with someone.
At the end they put me on the stretcher since I'm heavy. It was cold out so .I was wet from sweat, on the stretcher was freezing!! We were given watch covers after the hike, which we all earned.
Back to base finally, Cleaned all our equipment had lunch, first real food all week, hamburgers, I must of had 10.
Cleaned my guns in oil, the Mag and M-16, took over an hour
Heard a long speech from a guy that was in the second Lebanon war, can't write about it. Went to the showers late to take a 30-minute one when no one was there and back to my apartment for the weekend
At the end they put me on the stretcher since I'm heavy. It was cold out so .I was wet from sweat, on the stretcher was freezing!! We were given watch covers after the hike, which we all earned.
Back to base finally, Cleaned all our equipment had lunch, first real food all week, hamburgers, I must of had 10.
Cleaned my guns in oil, the Mag and M-16, took over an hour
Heard a long speech from a guy that was in the second Lebanon war, can't write about it. Went to the showers late to take a 30-minute one when no one was there and back to my apartment for the weekend
Saturday
My high school (magen david) came to Israel on a trip and they invited us to eat and sleep with them for Shabbat and saw a lot of people form school.
2/13-2/19
Sun
Back on base, they put me as a worked for the day in the storage area. Worst job u can get.
Monday
We have classes on everything for our test tomorrow, tests on all we learned so far in training and you have to pass.
Tuesday
Tests on everything, the test are written and some you actually have to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about.
Wed
Wednesday
Suppose to be barur in the morning. 2k run, pushups and sit-ups, to see how much you improved but we didn't end up doing it. We went to the shooing ranges to take some more tests.
We got split up into groups for sport day tomorrow. They told me I would be in the sprint races, arm wrestle and tug of war.
Thursday
We got to Arad early in the morning to start the sports day. It was different plugot competing against us in 931. There were over 1000 people there. The sports played were arm wrestle, volleyball, soccer, basketball tug o war and sprint races. I ended dup playing in tug of war but we didn't win. Our plugah ended up winning the army history contest.
Friday
I ate by my dads friend for Shabbat in the Citadel which was really good and then went to my friends house for his birthday.
2/20-2/27
Monday
We have classes on everything for our test tomorrow, tests on all we learned so far in training and you have to pass.
Tuesday
Tests on everything, the test are written and some you actually have to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about.
Wed
Wednesday
Suppose to be barur in the morning. 2k run, pushups and sit-ups, to see how much you improved but we didn't end up doing it. We went to the shooing ranges to take some more tests.
We got split up into groups for sport day tomorrow. They told me I would be in the sprint races, arm wrestle and tug of war.
Thursday
We got to Arad early in the morning to start the sports day. It was different plugot competing against us in 931. There were over 1000 people there. The sports played were arm wrestle, volleyball, soccer, basketball tug o war and sprint races. I ended dup playing in tug of war but we didn't win. Our plugah ended up winning the army history contest.
Friday
I ate by my dads friend for Shabbat in the Citadel which was really good and then went to my friends house for his birthday.
2/20-2/27
Sun
Got to Base late, had permission. Had to go to the bank and a few more things. Got to base 7pm.
Mon
We went to the field after we learned about what we will be doing there. Did a lot of exercises all week.
Tuesday
More exercises all day.
We had a run 5.5km. Longest I ever ran and it wasn't hard surprisingly.
Wednesday afternoon
Got to Base late, had permission. Had to go to the bank and a few more things. Got to base 7pm.
Mon
We went to the field after we learned about what we will be doing there. Did a lot of exercises all week.
Tuesday
More exercises all day.
We had a run 5.5km. Longest I ever ran and it wasn't hard surprisingly.
Wednesday afternoon
They served us potatoes from the lunch room. Since we have a 26km Masa in a few hours. We started the masa around 2pm. I was with the Mag. I knew it was going to be hard. We started on flat land after an hour. We had a small break then it all went "uphill" from there. 8km uphill.
Hardest hour and a half of my life I think. My leg muscles pulled at least twice, everyone is pushing each other up.
The sun is still up so your sweating 10 times more then you usually would. And once we got up it was a relief since we knew we were going down hill. We got down and then had another 4 hours to go. We continued on until we had a food break. I ate everything they brought. We got to the last 4 kilometers and opened the stretcher. We put one heavy kid who became dehydrated today on it. And carried it for the last hour. We got back to base and finished outside our rooms. Hardest masa so far. We ended up getting our fleeces on Friday with the unit name on it for finishing the masa
Fri/Sat
We went to a Kfir base near Jerusalem, They were short some people for their real guard duty on Shabbat.
So a few of us were called up to go and guard a specific area for Shabbat with Kfir.
Happened to be a fun and met a lot of American tourist and an American soldier on the base from Texas. He gave me his sling from the Mag which is much more comfortable then mine.
Going back to base now to finish the last week of basic training with guard duty and some other things that I'm not sure of just yet.
Going back to base now to finish the last week of basic training with guard duty and some other things that I'm not sure of just yet.
Moving to our advanced training base next week for two months.
