The incoming defense minister will be met with a series of familiar challenges and problems, including having to deal with the budget, appointments and billions of shekels that pass through his hands on a daily basis. Thursday, IDF Reserves Appreciation Day, is a good time to remind people that we -- the soldiers in the reserves, the minority thought of as "naive" by some -- also need his help. According to official data, only about 5 percent of the population legally able to perform reserve duty -- that is, within the correct age range and healthy enough -- actually does so in a significant way, serving for an average of at least a week per year. The percentage of these reservists who are combat soldiers is even lower. Many mistakenly believe that combat reserve duty is a lot like the IDF satire "Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer," and that all reservists do is lie about and have a break from their daily routines. This is not the case. In Israel in 2016, combat reserve duty usually includes a significant number of days of difficult physical training and operational activities. It was hard at 18, and it doesn't get any easier at 35. The active reservists are essentially a community of volunteers. Those who really don't want to report for duty can get out of it easily enough using a variety of excuses. We, the community of active reservists, do not demand special appreciation or gratitude for our work. We perform reserve duty because of a deeper value that we hold dear. Still, we sometimes feel as if the state is trying to reward the work of reservist soldiers with a bunch of irrelevant benefits, almost like a company that tries to create the appearance of a discount for its customers. One of many examples is the theater membership offered through the "Salute" card granted to combat reservists. A few years ago, I found out that the "discount" it provides is actually less than the average citizen gets by calling the theater offices. If we're honest about it, very few private businesses are excited about employing someone who will be away on reserve duty 25 days a year. Giving employment priority to reservists at governmental institutions or allotting certain positions for reserve soldiers who actively serve for a certain period each year would encourage good people to serve the country. It would be both a great incentive and a clear message of genuine appreciation, rather than just a dubiously discounted theater membership. Active reservists, especially those in combat units, should walk tall rather than feel as if the country is throwing them a bone for their service every now and then. We reservists will continue to serve, regardless of any benefit or discount, because we know it is our duty -- but it is our privilege as well. Roi Wolf is a commander and combat medic in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps.
Our duty and our privilege
מערכת היום
מערכת "היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
