IDF to establish five new reservist brigades for volunteers ages 38-58

So far, 3,000 of the planned 15,000 volunteers have signed up for the David Division.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The IDF is working on establishing a new division consisting of five reservist brigades as part of its efforts to shore up border security for the State of Israel, as one of the lessons learned from the Hamas-led surprise invasion of the southern part of the country last October 7.

The nascent David Division will consist of volunteers, ages 38-58, who would join the brigade closest to their communities and train in response methods so that they can prevent another such mass terror attack.

In a crisis, they could quickly bring out their uniforms and weapons, which are always in their homes, and meet the threat.

The IDF gave as an example “a company that will protect the Kfar Yona area if terrorists breach the barrier wall around Tul Karem,” which could be “activated immediately, put on uniforms, and deployed in defense.”

Another admitted goal is “to lighten the burden of those serving in the existing divisions,” as for example, the volunteers’ service could enable the new Eastern Division on the Jordanian border to carry out more security operations to prevent the rampant weapons smuggling of recent years.

The five brigades would cover the borders of the Negev (“Negba”), Plains (“Yonatan”), Valleys (“Yizraeli”), Jerusalem (“Ari”), and Galilee-Golan regions.

They will be purely ground forces, with no armored element, but will include rocket launchers, sharpshooters, and drone teams that could use the small aerial vehicles to locate and engage with the enemy.

The army is searching for previous and future soldiers among veterans of combat engineer units, commandos, and infantry who have passed the necessary advanced courses to become riflemen of Grade 07 or higher, which includes marksmanship proficiency.

It would prefer to include at least one Bedouin battalion (about 400-500 men), with four companies of its fighters residing in the Galilee and one in the Negev.

Another special battalion in the Negev division would consist of Israeli Navy veterans, who are typically exempted from reserve duty once their mandatory service period is over.

All the volunteers would have to pass a mental and physical health test and have a clean criminal record, among other criteria.

Recruitment began nine months ago but has been slow, with only some 3,000 of the necessary 15,000 volunteers having signed up to date. Six thousand others have expressed interest, and “we are in the process of getting to them,” the army said.

The IDF will launch a campaign to entice more to join, it noted, with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi saying that, “although they are not of the official reserve age, they have the right spirit and understanding of the need.”

The army website describing the David Division states, “Once a fighter, always a fighter!”

It invites former officers and enlisted men and women to fill out forms that ask them, among other questions, to list their army profiles and what they did when they served, including whether they were in combat positions and their areas of expertise for those in combat support roles, such as training others, communications, and General Staff aides.

Training is expected to begin in 2025 and will include “a course to refresh combat skills, combat exercises in built-up areas and complex scenarios, specialized training for commanders and professional positions, and training that will be conducted on an ongoing basis to maintain competency,” the army said.