מחו"ה אלון

Someone asked me recently what having served at Michve Alon was like. Especially as an American having recently made Aliyah. I tried my best to explain, but I don't really think I did it justice. If I had to summarize the experience though, try to imagine something along the lines of a basic training base that doubles as a quasi short-term military academy for new immigrants, and can often seem quite dysfunctional. The catch and reward, a graduation certificate declaring you competent in Hebrew and qualified as a Rifleman 02 Plus. More importantly, a lively way to kick start your service in the IDF and see what the army is all about.

טקס סיום. Graduation Ceremony. 

More than that though, it's an overall crazy place, filled with people from all around the world. With most soldiers coming from Russia and other countries from the former Soviet Union. The majority of whom all really good dudes. A handful I remember had already completed military service in their own countries before and would comment often on the "operational differences". That's the politically correct way of saying things. To them, anything in the army was "Gan Yeladim". Most of the remaining guys in the platoon were French and American, with some Brits, South Americans and Ethiopians mixed in. Even a few from India. Almost all Lone Soldiers with no family in Israel. I won't get into discussing the French right now, but all I'll say is that I've never seen so many disproportionately "injured soldiers" in my life. I'll just keep it at that. All of this while under the control of 19 and 20 year old squad commanders. A good portion of whom were girls. Including all of the Hebrew teachers. 

View from the barracks of the Northern Galil on a fine day.

In terms of overall living, barracks at Michve are more spartan than even other IDF basic training bases. In comparison though, the food is actually really good. Certainly better than anywhere else I have served, with the exception of my brief stay over at an Air Force base. Which is the closest thing to having a vacation on duty as you can get. If only all bases had swimming pools and movie theaters like they do. You understand also why the Air Force are known to recruit the hottest girls. I digress here. Point being though, Michve Alon will always be a special place for me, and it's always fun recalling some crazy times spent there. Despite all of the crap, and being introduced to my first of what would be seemingly endless middle of the night guard duty shifts, there really is no other place like it in the IDF.