Sayerot...

[joshapir0]

So i saw on the faq sheet that it said through machal you can join one of the sayerot if you want to opt to stay longer than 14.5 months. I saw that the training for paratroopers is 1 year and 8 months but didnt really see how long training is for the other sayerot. So, including the training, how long must you stay for? longer than 3 years?

[tavorlior]

it is a total of 3 years for all infantry leval sayarot, including those that are spun off of the gibbushim from those units but are not part of them like duvdevan. units like duvdevan and egoz havine training periods that are a few months shorter -- and slightly easier - than sayaret tzanchanim and the other main sayarot. but this is all relative and what matters in the end is where you end up and how you deal with being there because if you end up in a unit that is harder and you fit in better there than somewhere else, then that is where you should be. they take time to evaluate and determine where you will best fit in.

[rafi]

A new decision on service time was handed down by the IDF yesterday. While targeting Hesder troops, it will impact MAHALniks as well.

Effective immediately, Golani and Paratroopers will now require a minimum of a 3 year stint in the IDF. Units will be mixed Hesder and "regular" troops, also eliminating Hesder only service in these units.

[joshapir0]

was the time for the paratroopers not already a 3 year minimum?

[rafi]

was the time for the paratroopers not already a 3 year minimum?

no

[Stan187]

So can Mahalniks go to Yom Sayarot? Because as far as I understand, they can go to the inner-brigade gibush (probably Nahal), so the issue of time is not a big one since for any SF unit, including Sayeret Nahal, one would have to extend their time to 3 years instead of the minimal 18 months.

[Dan from Boston]

No, Mahalniks cannot go to Yom Sayerot. You would only be eligible to participate in that if you make Aliyah and serve that way. However, Nahal-brigade special units are open to Mahalniks who offer to extend their service length, complete the gibush, and are selected for service in a special unit.

[Stan187]

Do you have to extend your service prior to the Nahal-brigade gibush? Or can you try out and see if you make it before extending to 3 years?

[rafi]

Do you have to extend your service prior to the Nahal-brigade gibush? Or can you try out and see if you make it before extending to 3 years?

Hi Stan,
You are lightly touching on a subject that has been revisited here and on some of the other related websites a number of times.

The philosophy behind MAHAL is serving Israel. While it is natural to want to be one of the best, it is important to temper this ambition, with 1. the primary directive of MAHAL and 2. your odds of getting to where you want to be. And then deciding if serving Israel was in fact the primary motivator.

For numerous reasons that you can find in other threads, it is very difficult for you to compete with Israeli born and raised teens competing for the same spot in an SF unit.

In the past seven years we have a documented success of one person, possibly two of all the ones who have tried, to get into a "special forces" group.

That said, Israel loves having it's children from the entire world come and volunteer. Hopefully you can find peace in that mitzvah on it's own.

[Dan from Boston]

You have to confirm your willingness to extend your contract should you be chosen for a special operations force. If you are not chosen for one of these units, you do not need to extend your time, though you are still permitted to do so at another time.

[Stan187]

Thank you Dan.

Rafi, I understand your concern. I cannot assure you of my committment or my training regime any more than anyone else can over the internet. Point is, I'm working out and I'm learning Hebrew so that I can try to compete for a spot in special unit. That's not a bad thing, the things that I gain from driving myself hard to be an SOF unit will still serve me very well if I don't make it in. I don't have a problem with it. Either way, I'm pretty sure I'll be kravi.

[g-unit]

from what i have heard it is difficult for new olim to just rock up to israel and sign up for a sayeret or even the tzanchanim and be accepted, meaning that one would probably have to live in israel for some time before enlisting.
so would it be easier for someone who wants to be in a sayeret or in the paratroopers to go on mahal but on arrival, sign that he/she will serve for 3 years and go to yom sayerot from there???

[Dan from Boston]

Like I said, you are not eligible for Yom Sayerot as a Mahalnik. End of story. If you're interested, make aliyah.

[rafi]

.....from what i have heard it is difficult for new olim to just rock up to israel and sign up for a sayeret or even the tzanchanim and be accepted ....

As I previously mentioned, there are two confirmed cases of this happening since 2001. With the hundreds of people from around the world who do enlist, and two making it in, I'm sure you can see where I am coming from about realistic expectations.

[g-unit]

As I previously mentioned, there are two confirmed cases of this happening since 2001. With the hundreds of people from around the world who do enlist, and two making it in, I'm sure you can see where I am coming from about realistic expectations.[/quote]

while this may sound corny...if one sets their mind to the task almost anything is achiveable. while i know its not a walk in teh park, i know that in 3 years i will be on this forum as the guy with paratroopres wings on his chest!