1World In Combat Female soldier cites her challenge in the Israeli army. Yael Kidron Courtesy BBC News feminine. Only when you go home, that's when you can be a little more feminine, in your own time. What we end up doing, after all the training, when it comes to an actual war, we guard the borders and we make sure nothing comes in. decided to come and serve in a corn- , bat unit because, for one thing, I grew up with five brothers, and I needed to do something physical. It's not just sitting down and doing paperwork. I wanted to do something more challenging, and this is why I am here. Women In IDF It's a very, very, very cool experience, to • The Karakal Battalion, which guards shoot a gun — I love it! Israel's borders with Egypt and Jordan, is I came to serve in Karakal. It's a girls 70 percent female; and guys unit. You basically do everything • Women have served in combat roles in like the guys; you work hard. the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) since the Our base is in the middle of the desert, mid-1990s; the middle of nowhere, kind of. We have • During the 2006 Lebanon conflict, very nice views here, sunset, sunrise. women fired artillery, served on warships, You've got a lot of wide-open space here and piloted aircraft; — and a lot of space where they can make • All Israelis except Arabs and Ultra- you run when you get pun- ished. We live in tents. The tents Percentage Of Women In Armed Forces are very sturdy although honestly, to go from a nice Israel 33% 58,245 cozy bed to a tent, living in America 20% 294,780 these little beds ... but it's Canada 13% 8,372 awesome, I love it. I think it's United Kingdom 9.1% 17,900 a great experience. Every day when I wake up Source: IDF/NATO/USA/MoD in the morning, I don't say, "Oh, what am I going to wear this morning?" It's the same thing every single morning. It's not a very nice color of cloth- ing — kind of olive-greenish pants and a shirt. Hardcore Work We actually name our weap- ons. I named my gun Jack, Jack Black. Why? Because it's black, and I like the name. It's an Israeli-made machine gun; it's got nice, smooth shooting. It's a very comfort- able gun. The gun is basically on you every single day. Even when you sleep, it has to be under your head. It's not a very feminine weapon at allies actually more manly than some of the other weapons that they have, but that's the whole point of being in a combat unit — you're not 24 Orthodox Jews are conscripted; • Women serve for about two years, unless they volunteer for a combat unit, then serve three, like men. It's a very important job because, hon- estly, you can't do without your support group, and that is what we basically are for the men. I think the fact that Israel has girls in combat units is a good idea. I think it is only fair that they let us be part of the actual physical, challenging jobs. I told my dad that I wanted to go into paratroopers like my brother and he started laughing at me. He said, "You know there's no girls in paratroopers." So that was kind of a letdown. Right now, women in combat units can be snipers, combat doctors, officers ... There are also women who go into the pilot unit. The rest of the world should also con- sider having girls in the army because we have a lot to offer. I think it's vital for the army. It makes it better. ❑ BBC news originally published this story on Feb. 16. Yael Kidron is a combat soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces' mixed-gender Karakal Battalion based in the Negev desert. She argues that it is only fair to allow women to take on physically challenging army roles. About Yael Who: Yael Kidron, 21 Education: Graduated Akiva Hebrew Day School, Southfield; Frankel Jewish Academy, West Bloomfield. Two years of pre-medi- cal School, Wayne State University, Detroit. Parents: Hadassa and Avi Kidron, West Bloomfield; originally Ramat Ha`Golan, Hispin Community Village, Israel. In Israel, Hadassa volunteered two years in National Service, counseling mentally chal- lenged children and people dying of cancer. Avi served in IDF Navy, taking part in 1973 Yom Kippur War and 1982 Lebanon War. Brothers: Gal, 27, Ziv, 26, Elyasaf, 22, (IDF paratrooper), Matanya, 18, (Bloomfield Hills Andover 12th- grader), Eyal, 16 (Andover 10th- grader). Family: Only girl of six children and third youngest. Fourth genera- tion in family line to serve in IDF. After two oldest brothers Gal and Ziv joined IDF — Gal as a para- trooper with the 50th Battalion, Ziv as a communications and technology engineer — and then Safi, third oldest brother became a paratrooper with the 101st Battalion on Lebanon border, she felt an obligation to her family, Israel and herself to join up. In Israel: Joined Garin Tzabar of the Israeli Scouts together with more then 100 young adults who left North America to serve in IDF. Sent to Kibbutz Lavi in the Galilee along with another 20 young adults. Decided she wanted to be a combat soldier so joined Karakal Battalion, which is mixed with men and women. Quotable: "Yael, as always, set a goal for perfection in her training so that she could be the best, and so she reached that goal, and not with ease," says her brother Eyal, a 10th grader at Bloomfield Hills Andover High School. "Recently, the IDF media reporter asked Yael if she wanted to be interviewed by the BBC News as a 'combat girl. — Future: The IDF has asked Yael to go on to the IDF Academy to be an officer and possibly lead others to where she is now.