The IDF is setting up a fifth light infantry battalion in which men and women will serve together to patrol the country's borders, Israel Hayom has learned.
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The battalion is expected to be operational by the end of 2023 at the latest, with recruitment slated to launch in six months.
The four existing mixed-gender infantry battalions are deployed on Israel's borders, and their soldiers patrol, operate ambushes, conduct chases, act as lookouts, and secure Israeli communities. Two-thirds of the soldiers in these battalions are women.
Women seeking to serve in the infantry battalions must have a military profile of at least 82, successfully complete a combat training course for women, and commit to service of the same length as men's. They complete 16 to 18 weeks of training at the army's border patrol school, as well as three months of additional training in operational zones.
In recent years, there have been problems with the mixed battalions, with female soldiers reporting stress fractures and other service-related injuries. The IDF examined the issue and adjusted the weights and food to meet women's needs.
Two weeks ago, the IDF announced that the commander of the ground forces had decided to appoint Maj. Or Livni, better known by her maiden name, Or Ben-Yehuda, the first woman to command a border defense battalion. Livni will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and be put in charge of the Caracal Battalion, where she started her combat career. Livni was awarded a citation after helping capture terrorists on the Egyptian border.
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