Reserve soldiers make up 70 per cent of the Israeli army and, unlike the rest of the army, they are free to speak out. Many have echoed [Colonel Amnon Eshel's] concerns.Apropos, from Gadi Taub:One, protesting in Jerusalem last week, said: 'Reservists got bad treatment, bad equipment and bad decisions.'
Reserve infantry soldiers [k]new it before the rest of us did, before we knew about actual performance. They discovered how bad things were when they were rushed north to the Lebanese border and realized their ESUs - Emergency Supply Units - lacked basic combat equipment.Read the rest.Here's how a young infantry captain, a guy who's led his reserve unit into battle before, explained to me what soldiers do when they lose their confidence in their High Command. After battles end, they take equipment home with them, back to their civil lives. Night vision instruments, battle vests, helmets, rifle sights, binoculars, boots. It's not that difficult to do, since battles are chaotic events. When you return from action you can always report the equipment damaged, used, lost. They take it home, to make sure they'll have it the next time around.