The manpower division of General Headquarters disclosed measures today to beef up the combat strength of Israel’s armed forces in keeping with the expansion of the military machine and the wider deployment of forces to be ready for any contingency.
Senior officers at GHQ briefing military correspondents here, said that all able-bodied personnel of military age–including recruits and reservists–who are attached to rear line, non-combat units, will be re-assigned to combat units.
Regular army officers and men who perform non-combat duties in times of emergency will be given emergency combat assignments and even members of the Army Band will have to put aside their instruments and serve as field orderlies (medics) in time of war, the officers said. Other measures include the reclassification of tens of thousands of military age personnel who have been slated for civil defense duties because of temporary medical disabilities and their reassignment to combat posts.
Athletes who have been assigned to special units which enable them to participate in sports events, will be assigned to combat units, except for a handful of the most outstanding sportsmen. In addition, personnel who have completed their required military service will be asked to re-enlist, The officers reported an increase in volunteers for special units and branches. They said there are presently three volunteers for every vacancy in the paratroops, six for every vacancy in the navy and 2.3 for each unfilled post in the air force.
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