Drafting into the IDF
Learning the basics to joining the IDF as a Lone Soldier
All the time I have conversations with guys and girls that tell me, I am interested in drafting into the IDF.
They have many questions that they need answers for. I wanted to break down drafting into the IDF in a lot of different categories.
Lets start with the basics, I am interested in coming to Israel soon to draft and I want to know more information before making up my mind.
The IDF has many thousands of foreign soldiers and they have a special name. They are called Chayalim Bodedim in singular Chayal Boded – lone soldier. A lone soldier is a guy or girl serving in the IDF from abroad and has no family. The IDF has currently 2,800 Lone Soldiers that are English speaking and from abroad.
There are also thousands of other Lone Soldiers that are Israeli that have no parents or they come from homes that are problematic.
As a Lone Soldier in the IDF you will be entitled to many privileges and benefits. (We will go through this on a different page.)
It is important to realize that coming to Israel to serve in the IDF you are committing to give over your time and your rights to the IDF. Meaning you will NOT be able to just go home or quit when you are not interested. You are also committed to defending the land of Israel and listing to commanders for everything that you do and want to do.
If you are interested in joining a combat unit in the IDF as a lone soldier you might have to be on base from 21 days up to a month and a half. If you are a person that usually quits on things and doesn’t like finishing doing things the IDF will NOT be a walk in the park.
DON’T think “the IDF will change me as a person to make me stronger, mentally tough, more disciplined and organized.” It is up to you as a person to want to change and if you don’t work on it, every day you serve and live with it after, it will never have that effect on you.
The IDF is a place that can be the best experience and the worst experience for a lone soldier. If you come with a really positive attitude it will be great, if not it will be a disaster.
In the next article we will go into the more specific questions about, How to draft?
