Bahad 4
Encyclopedia
Bahad 4 commonly known as Batar Zikim (בט"ר זיקים, lit. Zikim Training Base) is a training base (Bahad
) belonging to the Israel Defense Forces
.
Zikim is located 8 km south of Ashkelon
. It was named after the nearby kibbutz Zikim
.
The majority of new recruits in Zikim pass the Rifleman 02 recruit training
(tironut
) which has all but replaced the older 00 level that was usually reserved for non-combat woman recruits.
, but after the Six-Day War
it was moved to the Beit El
base in the newly-captured West Bank
. After the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
signed in 1995, the base was moved to Zikim.
s fired from the Gaza Strip
, and has endured numerous barrages. On September 11, 2007, a Qassam rocket hit an empty tent, causing injuries to soldiers in neighboring tents. Four soldiers were seriously wounded and a further 63 were treated for moderate to light wounds and shock. Following the incident, pressure was put on the IDF by parents to stop training recruits at the base.
On November 19, 2008, Zikim was evacuated as part of a plan presented by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Harel
to remove general recruit training bases. Following Operation Cast Lead, Qassam attacks decreased significantly, and returning recruits to Zikim became a viable option. In late 2009, after a severe shortage of space in the other basic training bases, several companies were placed at Zikim, and more are expected to be recreated in 2009–2010.
Each company is represented by a letter in the Hebrew alphabet
(from alef
(1) to yud
(10), while skipping zayin
(7)), as well as a word starting with the corresponding letter. Each company also has an official motto. The company names are as follows:
Bahad
Bahad is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, each Bahad belongs to a certain corps and conducts all courses required by the corps in question...
) belonging to the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
.
Zikim is located 8 km south of Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
. It was named after the nearby kibbutz Zikim
Zikim
Zikim is a kibbutz in the southern Israel. Located in the northern Negev desert, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. In 2006, it had a population of 385....
.
The majority of new recruits in Zikim pass the Rifleman 02 recruit training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
(tironut
Tironut
Tironut is the Hebrew name for the recruit training of the Israel Defense Forces . In the IDF, recruit training comes in many difficulty levels, each corps or major unit having their own training program. After the tironut, a recruit is certified as a rifleman of a level that depends on the...
) which has all but replaced the older 00 level that was usually reserved for non-combat woman recruits.
History
Bahad 4 was founded in 1949 as the main IDF recruit training base, for all types of recruits (combat and non-combat). It was originally located in TzrifinTzrifin
Tzrifin is an area in Gush Dan in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities....
, but after the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
it was moved to the Beit El
Beit El
Beit El is an Israeli settlement and a local council in the Benjamin region of the central West Bank, within the borders of the Matte Binyamin Regional Council. The religiously observant town is located in the hills north of Jerusalem east of the Palestinian city of al-Bireh. In 2009, it had a...
base in the newly-captured West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. After the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
The Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, also known as the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, the Interim Agreement, Oslo 2, Oslo II, and Taba, was a key and complex agreement governing several aspects of the Palestinian territories of Gaza Strip and the West Bank.-History:It...
signed in 1995, the base was moved to Zikim.
Qassam fire, evacuation and return
Bahad 4 is one of the few Israeli military bases located within range of Qassam rocketQassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
s fired from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, and has endured numerous barrages. On September 11, 2007, a Qassam rocket hit an empty tent, causing injuries to soldiers in neighboring tents. Four soldiers were seriously wounded and a further 63 were treated for moderate to light wounds and shock. Following the incident, pressure was put on the IDF by parents to stop training recruits at the base.
On November 19, 2008, Zikim was evacuated as part of a plan presented by Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Harel
Dan Harel
Aluf Dan Harel is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and is currently the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the IDF. Born in Haifa, Harel began his military career in 1974 at the Israeli Air Force flight school, but in 1976 switched to the Israeli Artillery Corps...
to remove general recruit training bases. Following Operation Cast Lead, Qassam attacks decreased significantly, and returning recruits to Zikim became a viable option. In late 2009, after a severe shortage of space in the other basic training bases, several companies were placed at Zikim, and more are expected to be recreated in 2009–2010.
Structure and board
The base comprises 9 companies for any kinds of troops. There is a special company for commander training (קורס מפקדים) and officers' course. Female commanders are dominant on the base.Each company is represented by a letter in the Hebrew alphabet
Hebrew alphabet
The Hebrew alphabet , known variously by scholars as the Jewish script, square script, block script, or more historically, the Assyrian script, is used in the writing of the Hebrew language, as well as other Jewish languages, most notably Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic. There have been two...
(from alef
Aleph
* Aleph or Alef is the first letter of the Semitic abjads descended from Proto-Canaanite, Arabic alphabet, Phoenician alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, Syriac alphabet-People:*Aleph , an Italo disco artist and alias of Dave Rodgers...
(1) to yud
Yodh
Yodh is the tenth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Yud , Syriac and Arabic...
(10), while skipping zayin
Zayin
Zayin is the seventh letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic , Hebrew , Syriac and Perso-Arabic alphabet...
(7)), as well as a word starting with the corresponding letter. Each company also has an official motto. The company names are as follows:
- 1. Alef (א) - Eitan
- 2. Bet (ב) - Bardelas (Cheetah)
- 3. Gimel (ג) - Golan
- 4. Daled (ד) - Dores (Predator)
- 5. Hey (ה) - Harel
- 6. Vav (ו) - Vulcan
- 7. Het (ח) - Horev
- 8. Tet (ט) - Tornado
- 9. Yud (י) - Yuval