"Bakum" The Soldier Factory

Having read about the "Bakum" for many years before enlisting to the IDF, I always anticipated this day of transition from citizen to soldier. I arrived at the Lishkat Giyus (draft office) in Tiberias, a place that I have written about extensively here. All of the soon-to-be Nahlawis (Nahal soldiers)  from the North of the country were given orders to report there for transportation to the main recruitment base. It was strange to see parents and girlfriends see off the same boys who would soon be fighters alongside me. I also thought it was a bit strange that the unit didn't do anything for the occasion - there were no flags, no informational tables, not even representatives from the unit, but I was informed that it has always been this way and that for the draftees who arrive at the Bakum directly instead of a draft office elsewhere, there is a bit more ceremony. In any case, the moment was still incredible for me, and, along with two good friends from my Garin, I tried to prepare myself for what was about to happen. 

The day then sped up completely and, long lines notwithstanding, is now a big blur in my mind. You hop off the bus when you arrive and are already referred to as "soldier" by the people placed immediately in charge of you. There is a sense of discipline, as if to start to get you used to the idea that you are no longer just a citizen. You check your bags in and are handed a sheet of stickers, which are later used to document which stations you have and have not visited. 

We arrived straight to lunch (still the best food I have received in the army) and it is at that point that I will offer my best tip to all future draftees: Take as much food as you can before you sit down (you will not be allowed back up) and enjoy. To this day, my friends and I joke about the food at the Bakum, still in disbelief that the wok stations and salad bars were ever really there! Sitting and eating was my first experience in the army where I looked around and realized exactly what I was doing… I felt the magnitude of enlisting into the military as a lone soldier. I had been separated from my friends for the meal and all around me was… Hebrew. Lots of it. People made small talk with one another and I tried to understand them, but mostly kept to myself and tried to keep calm and assure myself that the language, like everything else, would work itself out. 

From then, it all really started. Documents, pictures, x-rays, bank information, injections, and interviews… stations and more stations. Throughout the day, I became more comfortable with everything, helped in large part by the friends I had with me and the fact that what people have said about Nahal all along was already turning out to be true… everyone was just extremely friendly and helpful. That is, besides the people who work the stations at the base, who could really use something to brighten their moods!!! 

As the day went on, everything fell into place… before I knew it, I was standing in uniform, with shoes a size too small (do not make this mistake!) and my choger (army ID) in hand showing a big smile. We were then sorted into teams of around 20 (who we would find out were our teams for "Trom Tironut" or the week of pre-basic training that would follow) and taken to a separate part of the base. 

We were then greeted by speeches from different higher-ups in the unit and had confirmed what had been rumored all day long… that due to the situation in the south of the country and the high amount of reservists on our base, we would be headed home for the weekend! Exhausted, excited, and many things in-between, I took the first of many long journeys home from the army as a lone soldier in Israel. 

       - Darren