Free Republic

When things are relatively quiet, they are just three brothers, ages 22, 25 and 28 who meet on weekends at home. But the three are also brothers in arms: Captain “A”, 28, is a pilot in the army attack helicopter squadron; Captain Tal, 25, is an officer in the Givati reconnaissance battalion; Lieutenant Dean, 22, is an officer on the Givati basic training base (“boot camp”). The three have participated in numerous joint operations in the Gaza Strip, with “A” in the sky and the two brothers fighting terrorists on the ground. But last week, when the Givati brigades lost...

Although the Israel Defense Forces' decision of March 3, 2003, did not make waves in the public, it was indicative of an important turning point. On that date, the IDF established its C4I Directorate, which includes the spheres of communication, computers and information technology, headed by Major General Yitzhak Harel. The new directorate will lead the IDF's digital revolution. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz's statement last week about the readiness to slash NIS 15 billion from the defense budget over the next five years rested primarily on the benefits the IDF will enjoy thanks to the planned communications and data systems...