Army photographs in Johannesburg, Gush Etzion, Adurayim, Har Sagi, Lebanon, Kiryat Shmona, Chamat Gader, Beit Hillel, Tzeelim and Golan.
My first experience in the army was the year I turned 18 and was conscripted in the South African Defence Force. The first 3-4 months I spent at an officers training course in Heidelberg. Trying to be a hippie and knowing that I wanted to leave South Africa, I did not conform with the expectations of my commanders and did not complete the course. My behavior there led to some antisemitic reactions on the part of several colleagues. I was finally removed from the course and was sent to a base in Ladysmith. I did, however, prove myself able to cope with the rigors of keeping physically fit and also became a marksman on the shooting range. At Ladysmith I worked fixing tyres and started learning to drive trucks. After about two months I managed to get relocated to the Drill Hall in Johannesburg where I continued in the transport department for another 3 months until my discharge.
I did not take my camera with me this whole period so the only photo I have is the one on my ID card.
In 1979 I did my basic training for 4 months as a sapper in the IDF engineering corps. About 1 year later I began 20 years of reserve duty. Once or twice a year, doing 30-45 days training and ongoing military activities in the Engineering Corps in varying parts of the country and some out of it. I became sergeant of the 3rd platoon in B company. Many of the people there were immigrants like me and we were a consolidated group. Our activities involved direct firefights only once, in the 1st Lebanese War and luckily for me I was not mobilised. There were, however, many scary situations.
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