The Middle of a Twenty-One

After completing Shavua Sadaut, we proceeded back to base to finish the remainder of our twenty-one (three weeks on base).

Our journey back to base was done as a masa, a march designed to train us in distance walking with heavy weights on our backs. There are many masaot throughout the training period, gradually increasing in distance and intensity.

This masa was a four kilometer hike back to base. While it doesn't seem like much, the distance is hiked at the grueling pace of the mefaked and is mostly jogged. Along with the pace is the uncomfortable weight of the efod (combat vest) wrapped around your body, filled to the brim with magazines, ammunition, and the clunky helmet.

While not overly difficult, I often found myself thinking about the pain in my shrir masa (hike muscles, the shins) and hoping for the pace to slow down. As we ascended up the last of many steep hills, I saw the lights of our base, a second wind behind my back to finish. We sprinted the last leg of the masa, arriving to music and congratulatory snacks on base.

While not a feature of every masa, usually something is rewarded to the soldiers at the finish line. As we arrived at the end, we were given the cover for our dog-tags, the first addition of many to our uniforms. The masaot will eventually result in awards like a watch cover, infantry pin, unit tag, gun strap, and finally the famous red beret of Tzanchanim at the end of a grueling 55 kilometer march. Each addition slowly adds to the uniform, taking away the tzair (youngster) appearance in the army.

We arrived on base in time for Shabbat, our first closing. Shabbat on base is unlike anything I've ever seen. With no schedule (aside from guard duty once or twice), we were given the opportunity to simply relax and catch up on all the sleep we missed throughout the previous week. Snacking on sweets and joking around, the spirit and morale are raised, a necessity for the coming week.

While usually, the cheder ochel (dining room) serves food on a buffet line, Shabbat is a far more formal gathering. We arrived for Shabbat dinner, dressed in our formal uniforms and served at the table. We listened to the commander of the base deliver a powerful message followed by the kiddush by a soldier in the November draft, a moving sight before delving into a delicious meal.

As Shabbat quickly drew to a close, we got right back to work on Saturday night preparing for the upcoming week, Shavua Hagnam (guarding and kitchen duty).

I've often heard that Hagnam is the most tedious week of basic training and I can confidently affirm that to be true. The schedule is loose, as each soldier is penciled in for guard duty at a different time. Unluckily, I was most often scheduled to guard in the middle of the night, waking up and dressing in full gear.

Guarding is done in two hour shifts at various points on base. Done alone, it can often be unbearably boring, time ticking away slowly as you wait for your replacement to arrive. Despite the boredom, the first shmira (guard shift) actually held some importance to me. It was the first task done as a “real soldier,” so to speak. Weapon loaded and prepared for anything, I understood that if something were to happen in my area, I would be the one who needed to act. It's a feeling that kept me on my toes and gave me the impression that I was actually doing something worth doing. 

A friend and I after guarding.

 

Following the week, we went into our second Shabbat closing. The day before, we were told that we wouldn't be closing on our base, but rather going to a base in the north to guard over all of the equipment for an activity the following week. We trekked to the base and prepared for the weekend.

Closing Shabbat as a kita is usually an incredible experience, just celebrating with your team and enjoying each other's presence. This kita Shabbat was different, however. With three guard stations and only fourteen of us, each one of us had eight hours of guard duty, something mostly unheard of during basic training.

A bright spot of the Shabbat came when I found out that visitors were allowed on the base up north. Darren and Avi (our Garin coordinator) wasted no time in coming to visit, bringing with them some lunch and making the Shabbat one to remember.

Once again, the Shabbat ended as quickly as it began, and we got ready to head out to the shetach once more for a brigade wide activity, something I'll discuss in the following post.

-Brett