I was under the impression that everyone in Israel did two years service in the military at age 18. They became profient with all the weaponary and tactics, then returned to civilian life for the most part. That way you could always have a standing army - all yoo had to do was issue arms if they went to war.But it's been twenty years since I was in Israel. Maybe American in Israel could get us up to speed on this - for what the public needs to know.