vision

[chaim123]

Hi, I guess these questions belong to "health".

-How much do glasses lower your health profile?

-Can you join more sophisticated units, for example the paratroopers with glasses (and is it realistic for a mahalnik to serve as a paratrooper at all)?

I´m asking because besides my ametropia I have no medical issues whatsoever, no flat feet or diabetes or so.

[rafi]

Hi, I guess these questions belong to "health".

-How much do glasses lower your health profile?

-Can you join more sophisticated units, for example the paratroopers with glasses (and is it realistic for a mahalnik to serve as a paratrooper at all)?

I´m asking because besides my ametropia I have no medical issues whatsoever, no flat feet or diabetes or so.

Chaim, you have asked us a question akin to "how long is a rope?". Without your glasses, do you walk into walls? Are you legally blind? You have given us no criteria to judge. Ametropia is a serious vision problem as you are aware. I have to ask you if you could stand in a desert in 110 degree weather, harsh sunlight in your face and be depended upon to defend the life of the soldiers around you?

As to what a Mahalnik can and can't do, everything is up to you. Mahal can be a starting point, or a destination unto itself. The best rule of thumb to go by is what is called in the business world "Return on Investment". If you are going to serve for a total of 14 and a half months, including training, will the army send you to a nine month training course, for example? The answer is obvious.

[Dan from Boston]

As Rafi said, it does depend on the severity of your condition. I don't know what ametropia is, but I know that you can serve in an infantry unit if you wear glasses, including the Paratroopers. But Mahalniks do not generally serve in the Paratroopers and were you allowed to do so, you would likely need to extend your service.

If you're set on serving in the Paratroopers, I suggest that you consider making Aliyah and joining the military as a new immigrant. You will probably have to wait a year after arriving to begin your service if you pursue that option, but if you really want to be a Paratrooper, it is by far your best bet.

[tavorlior]

yes, the rule is that it takes a year. but they can easily speed it up for you if they want. they did for me...and they were not that excited about taking guys my age at the time either. i think you can reasonably expect to get drafted in 6 months. but it is like anything else in the IDF, you have to ask for it.

[Dan from Boston]

It actually seems like they're even less excited about taking older guys now than they used to be as recently as 3 or 4 years ago.

[Stan187]

Well, Paratroopers are not an elite unit anyway, right?

[drorh]

In the preparation course for foreign soldiers you will be able to participate in the try out for Paratroopers. The thing is though that you gotta sign up for more time if you want to participate, meaning that also if you don't pass the try out you have to do more time.

After all, the paratroopers are not anymore elite as the other units. The discipline might be a little harder than for example in Nahal, but in the end you all do the same (Paratroopers are not an elite unit in Israel)