Sudden changes are rarely a good thing

11th November, 2004

"We're moving to Jericho, Arafat died today at 4:30am."

...and so we were brought back to our home base to pack our things before departing to Jericho.

Before reaching my room, Yoav approached me and said: "If the rumours are correct, I congratulate you!". I wasn't sure if his smile indicated him being cynical.

"Huh? What rumours?"
"You're taking my rifle."
"What?!"

Most soldiers have regular short M16s, better known as M4 Carbines. They only weigh ~2Kgs(4.4 pounds).

Yoav has an M16-A3 rifle which is intended for platoon's marksman. A limited number of soldiers in the battery receives M16-A3s and M16 grenade launchers. While soldiers with these weapons are most likely to be chosen to commit arrests, go on night patrols and such, these weapons are considered to be clumsy and heavy. This is a big disadvantage, because you carry the weapon anywhere you go. You also sign for more equipment (A3 night vision scope, a regular scope, a few grenades etc..) and if you dare losing it, you'll end up paying a lot of money from your own pocket.

Very few soldiers prefer to own those weapons. That's also why they're usually given to juniors who've just joined the battery.

I don't care much about what kind of weapon I get to carry, as long as it's light and comfortable. But this weapon is far from being light OR comfortable!

But the rumours were true... Yoav's joining the battery's HQ team as a 2nd caretaker. He'll get a regular weapon... but why choose me as his replacement? There are a dozen of younger soldiers from November '03 and soon soldiers from March '04 are going to join the battery.

Matan promised me he'll do his best to make sure I'll get rid of this weapon. I really hope so.

For now, I'll have to get used to carrying it around. The battery will send me on a 2-day marksmen course next week, when we'll all be training at a training base in the center.

Before assuming control of a certain sector in the territories, the battalion has to train a few days/weeks at one of the training bases, where soldiers imrpove their various military skills and get in shape.

After the weekend in Jericho, we'll spend a few days at a training base. Then we'll move to Qalqiliya... When we get there, two teams will be released home. It's probably going to be my team and 2C, because by then it'd be 3 weeks since the last time that we were home. But nothing is certain, and our schedule is always dynamic.

12th November, 2004

Today's the ceremony of Arafat's burial. At 4pm we were taken to a roadblock located at the entrance to Jericho. For around 8 hours buses kept going in and out of the city, full of Palestinian citizens who were coming back from Ramallah.














































The guard tower was full of annoying mosquitos and the base was crawling with restless flies. Where do they all come from?

13th November, 2004

We had some good sleep this Friday night.

This morning we were told that the threat level is down again and that all our missions were cancelled. Great!

We were also told that we'll receive an "after" (Up to 24 hours of vacation), but apparently there was a misunderstanding between the bus company and the battery, so we ended up waiting until the evening when our Lieutenant gathered us all for an update: "the bus is stuck and it is unclear whether it'll arrive this evening or not. Due to the late hour, only those who live in the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem can get on that bus (Public transportation doesn't operate at nights), IF it arrives."

We've already packed everything and loaded all the equipment on the trucks, ready to leave tomorrow morning to the training base.

A moment later there were more bad news to come - The officers have decided that my team's not gonna get home the following weekend, but only the next one. That means that I'll be stuck in the army for a total of... 25 days!!! No way! I HAVE to get home!

The bus did not arrive. Fortunately for us, the Lieutenant was nice enough to let us take the public bus to Jerusalem. I got home at 1am.

14th November, 2004

We had to get to Kiryat Gat by 2pm. I checked the departure time of trains... The train leaves Tel Aviv at 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15... 14:15. No 13:15!!

I was almost late to the train of 12:15, so I decided to take a minibus-cab to get there faster. When I wanted to pay the driver, I realized that I didn't have enough money on me. I had no other choice but ask the other passengers if they could give me a couple of NIS to pay the ride. I felt really uncomfortable, dressed as a soldier and asking for money...

* * * * *I joined the battery at the training base. I was supposed to start the marksmen course and train separately from my battery, but they there were no instructors available for the course and so I joined the battery for the regular training.

As usual, a week before new March '04 soldiers are supposed to join the battery, a few soldiers who finished the commanders course join the battery as new commanders. They are... Ido! The same guy who was in my team, patrolling with me in Adorra is now a commander in the battery. He's not my direct commander, lucky for me! He's the commander of 2C. I don't like his character much.

Another commander who's joined our battery is... a female soldier from Nov '03! Her name is Ravit.

When she was still a regular soldier, everybody's been talking about her in the battalion. I was like: "who the hell are you talking about all the time? what is she, a goddess or something?"

Then one day I had a day at the kitchen with her and I realized what they were talking about. Dark-blonde curly hair, green eyes, beautiful face... and well-behaved. She reminds me a bit of Jasmin Wagner.

I was told that her first commander in the army was a guy who asked her out in Eilat, back when she was still a regular citizen. She said "No".

There were also 3 new officers in the battery now. Idan was promoted to be 2nd in command (after the battery's commander). Yair, my platoon's officer, was replaced by Michael and Raleb was replaced by Oded.

* * * * *
We've been practicing for two days and I haven't missed a single target... But that's no wonder because with I have a x4 scope attached to the A3 and I shoot at a 25 meter shooting range like everyone else.

16th November, 2004

I haven't received any message from Angel lately. We talked a bit during the "after" 2 days ago. She explained that her cellphone's SMS messaging service doesn't work anymore, for some reason. She told me she's been depressed again... She and Sarah are no longer friends. Angel told Sarah of all her problems, Sarah tried to help her but then followed her mother's advice and decided to cut any contact with Angel.

"What problems are you having, honey? Can you share them with me?"

She told me she gets depressed very often, that she hates herself... and that before and after we'd met.. she used to cut herself!

Oh my... poor Angel. There seem to be so many things I don't know about her. Now I really worry about her... I wish I could help her, but how? Perhaps I should talk to her more often, I don't know.

"Don't worry. Friends always fight, but they eventually forgive one another and become friends again. It's just temporary."

I love her no matter what!!!

Tomorrow we're moving to Qalqiliya...