GADNA
Gadna - what an experience! My unit, unit 2, had a theme "We will
survive," but we did more than survive we made it through with
positive attitudes and memories that we will never forget. Yes, we had to
do kitchen duty, bathroom duty and pick up trash, but now that it is over
we can be thankful that the American army is not a part of life, it is a
choice. I never understood where the Israeli pride came from, but now that
I have had a taste of the army I can see the roots from where this stems
from. I never realized how many things I take for granted. It is hard to
make a list of all the conveniences Americans have. We have a million and
one "needs and wants." It is not being on IST that has made me
realize this - but Israel - it is just so much different than America. On
a much lighter note - IST is great. There are a lot of options for
17-year-old kids in the summer - and honestly - being on IST is the best
way to go. Except for the 2 cockroaches I found in my sheets - but don't
worry - Daddy Gabi and Papa Ira took care of the serious problem.
Jessica Conn
Going into the fourth week, and finally done with all the hard stuff.
The rest of the trip will be smooth sailing. Hiking through the Negev
desert was very physically challenging. Gadna, however, was a much more
mental experience. The work wasn't that difficult. Our commander (or
amefacedit) was about a year older than us, yet she has so much precedence
over us. Our whole platoon was very thankful for every minute of free
time. We followed her every command from doing crunches to scrubbing
toilets. I tried to keep a positive attitude the whole time which proved
to be difficult. Looking back, that experience has already benefited me in
many ways. Firing an M-16 was a huge adrenaline rush and definitely an
experience I will never forget. I thought I would feel powerful but I felt
really scared. To know that I was trusted with such a powerful weapon was
very frightening. As I aimed for a paper target, I felt like I was being
told to kill someone. I survived the first shot and all the others flew by
very quickly. I know that I will never go near a gun again, but the
experience was amazing. I can't even begin to explain all the amazing
experiences I've had and realizations I have come to during these 4 weeks.
Britney Erin Rich
When I woke up the first morning of the army, it was the first time the
whole trip that I really truly did not want to get out of bed. After
morning exercises, cleaning our rooms, and a breakfast consisting of
cucumbers, tomatoes, bread and tea it was only 8:00. My eyes would not
stay open and I could not imagine how I was going to survive the rest of
the day. We went off the base for fired exercises which was actually fun,
and then returned for weapons lessons. It was a really interesting
experience to hold and fire a gun, definitely something I would never have
the opportunity to do otherwise. I folded laundry for the sergeant while
bonding with my unit members. When asked to look back on the day I
realized that although it was a difficult day, I had had a lot of fun and
grew closer to girls I had barely known before.
Rory Pred
