Reserve Battalion Raises Alarm Over Basic Equipment Shortages, Says Lives Were Put at Risk

Reserve Maj. Gil Admati, a company commander who has served in the reserves for 40 years, has previously warned, in his own name and on behalf of other soldiers and officers in Battalion 7481, about a persistent systemic failure that is harming the battalion and endangering soldiers’ lives. The report was published Thursday afternoon on the program "BeChatzot Hayom" on Kan News on Reshet Bet. Admati says that for a long time he raised the issue with various bodies in the military system, but, according to him, no thorough inquiry was conducted, no conclusions were presented, and no systemic response was given to the gaps identified by the battalion’s personnel. The officer says there is a long list of failures involving basic operational readiness, gaps in medical and logistical equipment, a shortage of professional manpower, unfilled essential posts, improper service conditions, and the failure to implement earlier decisions, to the point of risking human life.

A military vehicle in poor condition

At the top of the list of failures, Admati places the medical field. According to him, during the fighting the battalion doctor entered operational activity without some of the essential medical equipment required for the mission, including without life-saving plasma. Admati also reveals that in a rocket fire incident in the Maroun al-Ras area in Lebanon, in which the battalion commander and two other soldiers were injured, the battalion doctor had to treat the wounded under fire while, he claims, critical medical supplies were lacking. Even so, the doctor managed to stop the bleeding, stabilize the condition of the injured, and arrange their rapid evacuation by helicopter. According to him, the same gaps returned during Operation Courage of the Lion. The officer demands an examination of how an operational battalion operated in Lebanon when essential medical equipment, including plasma and advanced trauma gear, was not fully available.

But, he says, the failures are much broader. The officer describes a persistent shortage of basic protective equipment, including bulletproof vests, helmets, and night-vision gear. According to him, for more than two and a half years the battalion’s personnel fought for basic equipment, with some of the shortages filled through donations, personal connections, and private expenses by commanders and soldiers. He further claims that some battalion personnel did not have the professional training required for communications and signal tasks, while essential logistics and communications positions remained unfilled for a long period. In his view, this created an extraordinary burden and harmed the unit’s operational capability.

The complaint also details significant logistical failures, including a shortage of vehicles, missing or faulty refueling equipment, empty fuel tanks, equipment that was not supplied, and inventory gaps. According to him, during operational activity in Lebanon, battalion soldiers were forced to refuel repeatedly in areas exposed to fire because suitable refueling equipment was not available to them.

According to him, instead of dealing with operating the battalion and preparing it for its missions, the commanders were forced to spend their time securing water, tents, mattresses, winter gear, personal equipment, fuel, and basic supplies, tasks that should have been handled by the military system. The officer further claims that for a long period the battalion had difficulty receiving basic services and equipment because it was not treated fully as an independent unit within the military systems. In his view, this harmed the supply of equipment, fuel, medical response, and the logistical support required for an operational unit.

In addition, he points to poor service conditions, including a prolonged shortage of toilets and showers for the battalion’s male and female soldiers, despite earlier complaints filed on the matter. "The battalion managed to function in the war not because of the system, but despite the system," Admati writes. "Thanks to reservists, commanders, personal initiative, donations and improvisation. But the IDF must not be built on miracles."

The allegations raise serious questions about the readiness of an operational reserve battalion that has been operating in the northern sector since the start of the war. Battalion personnel are now awaiting an investigation and answers to the serious claims, בראש ובראשונה the question of how fighters, commanders and the battalion doctor found themselves in the middle of a combat zone when life-saving medical equipment, basic protective gear and essential logistical supplies were not fully available.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in response: "This is a complaint that was received and will be examined in depth by Northern Command, in accordance with the binding orders and directives, while conducting an orderly inquiry with the complainant and the other relevant parties. Upon completion of the review, the findings and conclusions will be submitted to the Military Complaints Commissioner as required and will be handled if necessary. As a rule, Battalion 7481 plays a significant and central role in Northern Command missions, and the necessary resources and responses are invested in it in accordance with procedures and operational priorities. A preliminary review is not aware of logistical gaps that required treatment and were not addressed; the same applies to the unit profile. All the claims will be examined as part of the complaint."