Very cool. So were you one of the 'exchange students' that goes between the Marines and the Paratroopers, or there for other purposes?
So...pic time. I grew up Christian in Cali, converted to Judaism at age 13 with my mom and sister. I went to live with my dad when I was 17, and when I graduated high school, he said 'go to the army, trade school, college, or get out'. So I sold my 72 Beetle, bought a ticket to Israel, arranged for 6 months on a Kibbutz studying Hebrew, and took off. I had never been there, but wanted to visit ever since I converted.
I hated the first 3 months, but around 6 months in, I was in love with the place; there were a number of bombings that took place, and I felt I needed to do more than the average American Jew, so I went in to the draft office, called my dad to tell him I wasn't coming back, and the rest is history.
The IDF Airborne has a 2 day entrance test, looking back it wasn't that hard, but for those unready it's a lot. Only 25% make it. Two weeks into basic training, everyone can try out for 4 Spec Ops units attached to the Airborne. That's a completely different story. It's a week, and they fuck you up. I did very well, but ended up with moderate-severe hypothermia, which progressed to pneumonia. I was pulled medically on the 5th day, in the hospital for a few days, then home recovering for 3 weeks. I was automatically sent to the IDF 101st Airborne (yes, that is a thing). Pissed me off no end, but in the end of the day I did more shit, even if at a lower level, we aren't pretty boys like the Airborne Spec Ops guys are.
So: I WAS NOT SPEC OPS, JUST REGULAR INFANTRY!
