"I thought the IDF learned a lesson from my son's death," said Ayelet Sela, the mother of the soldier who passed away from heat stroke in 2015, "but this event tells me that it was not enough. "
By YVETTE J. DEANEIDF soldiers of the Duvdevan Unit(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S OFFICE)
Three IDF soldiers collapsed from heat stroke during a training exercise on Tuesday, Army radio reported Wednesday morning.Contrary to standard procedure, the soldiers' commanding officers did not check the weather before beginning training. Even after the soldiers complained, the exercise continued until they collapsed. The commander of the unit has begun an investigation into the incident.This is the third incident of this kind within the last month in the IDF.In one incident, an elite soldier was moderately injured during a Krav Maga exercise conducted without proper authorization and without protective equipment.According to reports, the soldier was punched in the stomach during the martial arts training exercise. While he complained of pain after being hit, he was not taken immediately to hospital. Only after protesting that the pain was worsening did the unit officer permit him to be evacuated to hospital.In the second incident, an elite soldier sustained a severe brain injury during a training exercise when his head hit a rock after he was ordered to jump from a moving Hummer into a thatch of thorns. The soldier was not wearing a helmet.According to a report in Ynet, jumping into a thatch of thorns is a Maglan tradition forcing new recruits to “face their fear” during special ambush missions.“The IDF takes risks in the face of the enemy as required to fulfill its operational duties. It is neither acceptable nor professional to unnecessarily endanger soldiers during training and routine activities,” read a statement by the IDF adding that commanders were in touch with the families of the injured soldiers.According to Ynet, the soldier’s parents plan to contest the army’s decision to dismiss lower rank officers while ignoring the responsibility of senior officers.“It’s inconceivable that the IDF is dismissing junior officers while keeping senior commanders in their positions,” the report quoted a relative of one of the soldiers as saying. “Everyone knew about this jumping tradition, and no one stopped it.”
In 2015 another soldier died from heat stroke after becoming dehydrated on a tour."I thought the IDF learned a lesson from my son's death," said Ayelet Sela, the mother of the soldier who passed away from heat stroke in 2015, "but this event tells me that it was not enough. "Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.
