Ehud Banai, the Legendary IDF Drill Sergeant and 'The Unit' Star, Dies at 76

Retired Master Sergeant Ehud Banai, one of the most recognizable figures in the Israel Defense Forces and a famed discipline officer at Camp 80, has died at the age of 76. Banai became a military institution and later a well-known cultural figure, leaving behind a large family and generations of soldiers and commanders who saluted him one last time.

Banai joined the IDF and began serving as a commander and discipline officer at Camp 80 in 1968. For more than three decades, until the early 2000s, he ran the parade grounds with a firm hand and served as the influential sergeant major of the Nahal Brigade. Thousands of recruits passed under his command, including future senior security and political figures such as Benny Gantz, Herzi Halevi and Moshe Ya'alon, who remembered his famous mustache and booming voice that shook the base.

Even after leaving regular uniformed service, Banai remained active in volunteer work. He served in the Civil Guard and in the Northern District police, and also physically helped establish greenhouses for evacuees from Gush Katif in Ganei Tal. In 2023, at age 73, he returned to reserve duty and came to southern Israel to help and encourage troops and residents of the Gaza border communities during the war.

The public also came to know Banai through television and advertising. He appeared in the 1985 film 'Girls,' took part in the 2001 documentary series 'Green,' and served as the discipline sergeant in all three seasons of HOT's reality show 'The Unit.' Over the years he also appeared in commercials for Zoglovek, the Plant Council, Netstep orthotics and a men's health campaign at Assuta Ashdod. A resident of Netanya, a member of the retired IDF veterans group Tzavta, and father of four, Banai is remembered as a strict but caring figure who helped shape generations of Israeli fighters.