Breaking last year�s record of 73%, IDF officials report that 76% of inductees in the March 2010 draft deemed suitable for combat units have requested to be assigned to combat infantry and special force units. The military adds that 100% of requests were met regarding assignments.

When one inducted into a combat post, one is requested to list one�s top three choices. IDF officials report all of the inductees in the March 2010 draft received one of those three requests, as opposed to only 88% in the previous draft.

50% of the new inductees requested an infantry unit, and 93% of those requesting the Tank Corps asked for a combat post. 94% of those enlisted in the Engineering Corps also requested a combat post. Similar numbers, those requesting combat posts, are seen in the Artillery Corps and other units, including anti-aircraft units.

President Shimon Peres is scheduled to visit the Bakum Induction Base to greet new recruits entering the Golani Brigade.

One should understand that a new inductee into the military receives two numbers, the �profile� and the �kaba�. These two scores determine one�s suitability for certain units, and not all new soldiers are able to enter elite reconnaissance units, or combat units and so-forth. Having a profile rating below a certain number renders one unfit for a combat post.

The growing trend of inductees seeking combat positions is directly related to the motivation instilled in the students attending the nation�s mechina yeshivot, the post high school yeshiva programs that prepare the young men spiritually and physically, placing an emphasis on emunah and halacha pertaining to a combat soldier.

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)