IDF Chief of Staff Emphasizes Readiness for Surprise Warfare
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited Division 38, the new training division, to assess readiness. He stressed the critical need for the IDF to always prepare for surprise warfare, drawing lessons from the Yom Kippur War and October 7th failures. Zamir highlighted the importance of self-criticism and adaptation, stating that commanders must learn from reality and move forward. He also noted that the IDF's size, which had been shrinking, must now grow to meet the state's increasing missions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stressed the need for constant readiness for surprise warfare.
- Zamir drew lessons from the Yom Kippur War and October 7th failures during a visit to Division 38.
- He stated that commanders who do not question their views will be defeated.
- The IDF must learn from reality, adapt, and move forward from failures, Zamir said.
- The army's size must increase to meet growing state missions, according to Zamir.
- Division 38 is now an operational division and will become a flexible, multi-purpose division.
The Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, visited a training exercise of Division 38, the new training division, on Wednesday. He was accompanied by the Head of the Ground Forces, Major General Nadav Lotan, and the Division Commander, Brigadier General Sharon Altit. During the visit, the Chief of Staff assessed the forces' fitness and readiness for various missions.
Addressing the troops, Lieutenant General Zamir referenced the week of remembrance and learning, noting that Israel marks 53 years since the Yom Kippur War and three years since October 7th. He described both as painful failures with a connecting thread. Zamir stressed that the primary lesson is that the IDF must always be prepared for surprise warfare.
He emphasized the importance of self-criticism and listening to the field, stating, "A commander who does not question and entrenches himself in his views will be defeated. Reality constantly signals to us, and it is our duty to notice these signals, listen to them, and change constantly. At the same time, we must not dwell only on failure, we must look it in the eye, learn from it, and move forward."
Regarding force buildup, Lieutenant General Zamir noted that the IDF had shrunk over the past twenty years, but this trend has stopped. He argued that the state's missions are growing, and the army's size is a vital strategic depth for a small country. The establishment of Division 38 and other frameworks in the past year are defined as necessary steps. Division 38 is now becoming an operational division and will be established in the coming year as a flexible, multi-purpose division operating in any theater.
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