That's what I've been hearing lately. A lot. Now, I realize being a combat medic will put me in some dangerous situations. Hell, being in the IDF at all will put me at risk no matter what. But as a civilian (which will be my status for at least the first six months), I'm more likely to die in a car accident than in a terrorist attack (and I won't own a car, so I'm good!). Going back to how I want to serve in the IDF, I want to serve as a combat medic in Home Front Command for the Search and Rescue (SAR) unit. That would basically put me in the Israeli National Guard. Israel is known not only for the IDF as a whole, but specifically for its SAR unit and its medical corps. The other day, IDF medical corps had a competition to see who would win in a race of mind, body, and skill! The medical corps, along with SAR, is known for its work in disaster areas around the world, most recently in Haiti 2010, setting up one of the world's largest temporary field hospitals recorded with equipment that is standard in a first-world country hospital. Here are some links if you are interested in the kind of international humanitarian aid in which SAR and the medical corps pride themselves:
Rescuing Man from Collapsed Building
A Look into the Field Hospital
Other Hospitals Turn to IDF Field Hospital in Haiti
More Articles on Israeli Involvement in Haiti
And here is the full official description of the operation.
What I want to do as a soldier in the IDF is help save lives. My goal is to serve my new country through a humanitarian approach while staying safe for the sake of myself and my friends/family back in the States. If I don't get the medic job, there are plenty other things I can do in the IDF to accomplish this goal!
**UT folks: The orange beret of HFC is a happy coincidence!**
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