The End...

A week ago I was honorably discharged from the IDF, but like most things in the army it wasn't with out its hiccups. In my typical dumb-luck fashion, the day before my release from the army I lost my army I.D. card. In addition to granting me access to walk around with an automatic weapon, the I.D. card also allowed me to travel for free on public transportation. I literally woke up on the day of my discharge, gathered my uniform to return and only at this point realized my I.D. was gone. I think it must have fallen out of my pocket the day before while traveling on the bus.

I was bummed because this meant that I was going to have to pay for my bus rides (I had planned to use it the two weeks after my release as well, as long as the bus driver didn't check the date on it which they rarely do), but I had no idea how big of a headache this was going to be. I arrived at the base and I wasn't allowed in. I didn't have my ID, dog tags, and I had come in regular street clothes. I had to wait outside for about 30 minutes calling various people trying to gain access to the base just so I could give back my uniform (this was even more of an ordeal because my commander had been discharged the day before). Eventually, I was let in only to discover that I would have to have a trial because it is impossible to be released without your I.D. card.

I spent half the day waiting for an officer to arrive in order to have my trial. After sitting around for all that time, I was informed I would have to travel to where my unit was currently stationed in order to be tried there. In the end, my trial took place at 10:30 pm and I was let off with a warning. Unfortunately, it was too late for me to go home so I had to spend one last night on the base. The next morning I woke up at 6 to get the first bus, and traveled to the intake base near Tel Aviv (where all of the new soldiers arrive to get their gear), and was released 20 minutes later. I think it was probably the most efficient part of my entire army experience. I wanted to take a picture of them cutting my I.D. in half, but since I didn't have my I.D. you'll have to use your imaginations.

Lately, I've had a lot of people ask me the same question, "Would you do it again?". I had been asked plenty of times before, but I usually answered by saying that I couldn't really know until I was done. I am not going to sugar coat anything. The experience was extremely trying at times. I heard someone say once that everyone is going to have at least one day when they want to quit, and I tend to agree with that. What most people don't know about the Israeli army is that probably less than 5% of your time is spent on missions, or doing what you are trained to do. Probably 50% of the time is spent training (at least in the special forces units), 35% is spent standing guard in a watch tower or an armored vehicle, and 10% is spent working in the kitchen or cleaning. For me, however, I think I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. There was more than one time that I told myself that what I was doing at that moment was the hardest thing I had ever done, and I got through it. I think I am leaving the army with a better sense of my limitations, my strengths, my weaknesses, and the knowledge that I can accomplish anything if I don't give up.

So now that I am done, the answer to would I do it again is.........definitely!