Marines and Egoz

One of the officers gives an order -- “Keep down!” -- and the fighters immediately make their way behind the dune overlooking the city, and rush forward quickly in pairs, trying to create distance from one another and stay hidden from the “enemy.”

The order was not simply in English - the same fighters that planned to enter the zone of combat were not wearing IDF uniforms and a majority of them were in Israel for their first time. These fighters are from the “Marines,” an American combat unit, one of the the world’s premier combat units, that arrived in Israel for the purposes of training with the IDF’s elite units as part of Juniper Cobra 2018.

This time, the Marines met with the unit “Egoz” and learned from them their combat experiences in the Middle East. “Throughout the course of the exercise, we taught them our combat techniques: from open field techniques to that within urban settings, specifically in the ways in which we deal with an enemy embedded in a multi-story building as well subterranean combat zones,” explained Captain B., a brigade commander in the commando unit called Egoz, “Their arrival to this region is an important event” continued Captain B. “They do not have facilities of this size and do not have the luxury of this level of coordination with a unit such as Egoz, the combat soldiers that have long standing experience in this local arena - it's a significant contribution to their training. They absorb the unique and creative ability of our fighters, and they understand how to use these measures in order to achieve a decisive victory.” Joining Captain B.’s talk is Captain Kevin Kaim, a commander in the Marines: “An exercise with Israeli commandos is important because it gives us a good understanding of the tactics and techniques that can be applied in the urban setting. We noticed that two militaries can work together and generate mutual levels of motivation in order to create an effective exercise.”

Call of Duty - the Real Version

After waiting an extended period of time in several outposts outside the imaginary city, the sounds of communication equipment from the commander of the Marines can be heard. “Let’s go!” he tells his soldiers and within seconds a number of soldiers reveal themselves moving forward. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire spreads across the area. The fighters understand that they are deep within the battle, and from now on until they reach the city they must be alert in order to avoid the enemy, to identify them and finally to eliminate them.

The gunfire grows and appears closer, but the fighters continue to advance behind the cover of their comrades, including the snipers, and in the background the American commander’s orders can be heard “Keep moving! Go go go!”

The movement of the Marines in the field and sounds of gunfire and orders from American commanders heard in the area provide a sense of realistic combat which immediately settles into the exercise, as if this was a scene from an infamous battle conducted by the American military during World War II. When you are next to the soldiers described above, you can understand that everything you have seen in Hollywood cinema regarding the Marines is totally accurate and indeed transpires in the field.

A Smoke Screen Falls on the City

The soldiers enter the first building and confront the “enemy.” “Fire!” orders the commander, and the soldiers respond. They climb the stairs and screen the remaining space within the house that now is under the control of the Marines. The commanders of the forces enter the building and are planning how to flank the hidden enemy and to spread across the city in order to achieve victory.

The commanders, among whom is Captain B. contributing to his American counterparts the knowledge he has accumulated throughout his serve, collectively agree in their short discussion on the framework for occupation and a plan for exiting the city. The route is covered in gunfire that surrounds them, however the Marines have already taken care to capture a number of outposts at the entrance to the city, and by way of a smoke screen as well as sniper support from atop the buildings, they provide cover for the ground troops which allows them to continue and move forward.

It is important to note that despite the professionalism of the American troops, the “enemy” that confronted them, fighters of the unit Egoz, know all too well the military tactics commonly used in order to effectively surprise the Marines, in a way that will properly prepare them for real combat.

The gunfire slowly comes to a halt and the fighters successfully approach the target that was designated at the outset of the exercise -- a rocket launcher that they must locate and destroy. Now, after locating this target, it can be said that the mission was accomplished. “It was one of the most successful training exercises we have ever participated in.”

“The exercise and the meeting between the two units provides for the quality transfer of information,” emphasized Captain B. “We are learning from them a number of things related to their military lifestyle which is different from ours, and likewise they get to understand the enemy which we confront, which allows them to take a look at what steps we should take on the battlefield.”

Captain Kame is also not short for words, and applauds the soldiers that took part in the exercise: “We were very impressed by the standards of the Israeli units and from their level of proficiency in the exercise through the tiniest details - from the locations on the ground, through the operation of weapons systems and until the attack of the target.”

“Thanks to this exercise, our abilities greatly improved,” he was convinced. “I am certain that the cooperation with the IDF will help us in the future. This exercise is one of the better exercises we have had until now, and I would be glad if we would have the opportunity in the future to train again with the Israeli military.”