The women warriors that broke the IDF's glass ceiling
"I don't see any special reason why until today there were no girls in this unit."
By NOAM AMIR/MAARIV HASHAVUANoa Keren, Omer Sapir, Bar Sela, Lt. Noa(photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)
For International Women's Day, four female IDF warriors that serve in core IDF combat positions have shared with us how they trail-blazed into places reserved almost exclusively for men.Captain Lieutenant (Capt.-Lt.) Omer Haham, who serves in a combat role in the Navy, is the first female officer to serve on a helicopter assistance unit for Sa'ar 5-class missile corvettes."I operate navy operating systems from within the helicopter. I don't do my work because I want to be a trailblazer but because it is interesting and hands on," Haham told The Jerusalem Post's Hebrew sister publication Ma'ariv. "My advice for women is that they not try to carry out their jobs differently because they are girls. The job is the same for men as it is for women and it must be done to the highest standards," she said. Second-Lieutenant (Sec.-Lt.)Ruth Bar Sela of the Navy's mixed gender Snapeer Unit, the first soldier in the unit who did not graduate from the Israel Naval Academy course, talked about her experience as the first combat soldier in the unit."Until now a male soldier carried out my role and I am the first female in the position. I am the most senior combat soldier that has a professional background that allows me to command the staff. I advise young girls to find meaningful positions in mixed gender units. Doing so is satisfying beyond words," she said.Lieutenant (Lt.) Noah an Operations Branch officer in the Navy commando Unit 13 said she was responsible for planning her unit's secret missions, some of which she also takes part in."My message for young girls is that the more you believe in your path, the more you will advance," she said.Sergeant (Sgt.) Noah Kramer, a Navy commando, is currently wrapping up her training in the Navy's underground sappers' course and is set to be the first female sapper in the history of the army. "I don't see any special reason why until today there were no girls in this unit. It is a barrier that must be broken and I am happy to be the first to do so. A girl who believes that she can achieve will bring herself to better places," Kramer said.