“There are pieces of the entire puzzle that
have been damaged": Hatzerim base commander in a special interview
Testimony from within: Hatzerim Base Commander Brigadier General Guy Davidson spoke in a special interview about the crisis in the Air Force and the non-reporting of many reservists to the squadrons. “There are pieces of the entire puzzle that have been damaged or that are more challenging than other pieces,” Davidson said. “That’s where we focus, as an army, as a force, to narrow the gaps.As part of our tour of the base, we also visited No.
“There are pieces of the entire puzzle that
69 Squadron. 37 of the 40 reservists in this squadron led the fight against the legal revolution, followed by many Air Force personnel. “This squadron cannot stop operating, and cannot stop being fit for its missions,” the base commander clarified. “The pilots maintain a very, very high level of competence and participate in the security of the partner. I don’t know what a day will bring. We’re dealing with it, right down to the highest level in the army.
In an interview broadcast Thursday evening on “Main Edition,” Brigadier General Davidson said that following the crisis and its disruption to the routine of training, “some adjustments were made in certain formations and units in the corps, it’s small. In general, we continue to train nights and days and continue to operate operationally.Regarding the readiness for the operation in Iran, the base commander said: “Without entering into one operational scenario or another, I can say that we are operationally fit to carry out the missions for which we train night and day, but the picture is dynamic.
Our mission as commanders, squadron commanders, air force commanders, through me and up to the chief of staff, is to reflect the picture as accurately as we can at all times.During the tour, we passed through the flight school, which was hit hardest by the reservists’ protest. 60% of the instructors at the school announced that they would not attend. In their place, regular pilots were called upon to fill the ranks.
“Everyone pitches in and everyone helps, despite the challenges. We made adjustments, such as the regular force, which shows up more hours and days in flight school and is engaged in training more than it did before. The burden on those in uniform has certainly increased, but it’s not a challenge that stops us. It requires military mobilization, but it’s well executed.According to Davidson, the command echelon maintains an ongoing dialogue with the reservists who have announced that they will not report for service.
“It’s a movie, not a snapshot. The challenge here is not us and them, we are our enemy, God forbid. It’s a family, it’s all within the family. When someone in your family tells you they have a problem, the last thing you do is turn your head and with a wave of your hand pull them out of the office. We are attentive, creating a dialogue and trying to explain and convince that the family must not fall apart,” he said.
When asked if he was disappointed by the decision of the pilots, who served in the reserves, the commander of Hatzerim base replied: “I wanted to say that there is no room to introduce emotionality, but in the family, obviously, there is also emotionality. It doesn’t disappoint me, it’s a situation and a challenge that definitely has an impact. I think everyone was surprised by their reaction. As commanders we were surprised, and I think the reservists themselves were also surprised.
This energy that entered the controversy took us in different directions and we all learned as a whole system how to conduct ourselves and develop, it’s not the end of the story yet.During our filming at the base, foreign reports of air force attacks were published. “These are the people who do this work, along with the rest of the Air Force. Nowadays, the entire corps operates and operates a lot.
The security challenge around us is only intensifying. We are still a small country and we are still surrounded by enemies, and they still do not want us here. Iran has this umbrella, and the air force is a major operator.Since the reservists’ protest began, various Knesset members have harshly criticized Air Force personnel and pilots in particular, including Minister Shlomo Krei, who said in an interview with Channel 12 News that “we don’t need them, we’ll manage without them.
” Davidson said, “Our job is to create a virtual wall between the disputes in the civil-political-political sphere and what we do here on a daily basis. In this aspect, it definitely breaks down our fortified wall. After all, we are supposed to be part of the solution as the people’s army and not part of the problem. Here there are those who bring us into this thing, without taking one side or another.
in conclusion “There are pieces of the entire puzzle that
This is the people’s army and we need to preserve ourselves as such, and through that maybe we can really be part of the solution.”We, as the Air Force, also know how to look within, investigate and mark what we did well and what we didn’t do well. What needs to be changed, what needs to be improved,” the brigadier general added. “You don’t do it with sanctions, and you don’t do it with sharp actions.
We try to conduct ourselves calmly and with no sense.
