Father Joins Combat Reserve to Complete Service Son Lost in October 7 Battle Couldn’t Finish
Iti Barak, father of the late Staff Sergeant Tomer Barak who fell on October 7, has decided to enlist in extended combat reserve duty near the site where his son died. Iti, 50, explained that Tomer served a year and a half before his death and had about a year and two months left to complete his service. To "close the debt" and fill the void left by his son, Iti volunteered to serve in Tomer's place in a combat unit.
Iti was assigned to Nahal Oz outpost, just 3.5 kilometers from the Pega outpost where Tomer fell. He is preparing mentally for the difficult assignment and has taken on the role of resilience coordinator in addition to his combat duties. He has paused his civilian career as an operations VP to fully dedicate himself to reserve service and is already organizing morale activities for soldiers at Nahal Oz.
Tomer Barak, born in 2003, was a dedicated and athletic soldier who aspired to join Shayetet 13 but ultimately served in Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion. On October 7, during the Hamas attack, Tomer and six other soldiers faced about 150 militants at Pega outpost. Despite being outnumbered and lightly equipped, they fought fiercely, preventing the outpost’s capture. Fourteen Golani soldiers died in that battle.
The family received official confirmation of Tomer’s death a day and a half later but had feared the worst as he stopped sending his usual messages. Nearly three years later, the full details remain under investigation. To honor Tomer’s memory, the family established the "Tomer’s Dream" foundation, which organizes processing days for reserve soldiers to help them cope with combat trauma. They seek funding to host 220 soldiers for three days of therapeutic workshops and family activities, a crucial but underfunded effort.
Iti Barak’s commitment reflects a personal and symbolic continuation of his son’s unfinished service and highlights the ongoing impact of the October 7 conflict on Israeli families and soldiers.
