The Israeli military announced on Wednesday a far-reaching program to improve the food supplies, transportation and medical treatment of soldiers. The project is being launched amid public opinion polls indicated declined public trust in the Israel Defense Forces and increased criticism of substandard service conditions. The object of the plan is to improve the army experience for all soldiers, and for combat troops in particular.
The IDF blames the deterioration in service conditions on the Knesset’s failure to pass a budget in two years, which prevented new high-cost bids and projects from being undertaken. During this period, Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi’s response to complaints about food shortages and crowding on buses driving to bases was “missiles before socks.” The recent polls, alongside a rise in complaints by conscripts, parents and the state comptroller, who looked into the claims, made it clear to the military brass that “socks” affect morale and the motivation of soldiers to volunteer for combat units as well.
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Kochavi tasked the commander of the technology and logistics division, General Michel Yanko, with presenting a broad plan to improve service conditions in the IDF. Yanko appointed 12 teams to map the IDF’s weak points in service conditions, and will monitor the program’s progress. “The plan is no longer merely staff work, but processes taking place in the field in practice at this very moment,” said Yanko. “We have executed a plan aimed at significantly improving the service quality and experience for the soldiers and to bring ourselves in line with the times, with an emphasis on the operational end.”
During the COVID crisis, the IDF created a transportation system for soldiers, which will be the basis upon which the new system will be expanded by July. Fourteen transportation stations will be created at central locations. In addition, 800 buses have begun to operate, collecting soldiers from some 130 pick-up locations and delivering them to the central stations on Sundays. Included in the design of the central stations are refreshment stands, where soldiers will be served light meals, drinks and snacks before their ride.
The soldiers will order a private pick-up from a location close to their home – no more than a kilometer away – through an app the IDF began using during the COVID crisis. Every soldier boarding will swipe their draft card, and the IDF will be charged according to the distance traveled, which is expected to greatly reduce the transport costs. According to the IDF, some 85 percent of users of the new service, in a pilot launched over the past year in some 200 army units, responded that they were pleased with the change. According to IDF data, in the units where the pilot is underway, there has been a 24 percent decrease in soldier use of public buses, and a 12 percent decrease in the use of trains.
In regard to food, the IDF is establishing a food administration that will oversee a series of changes. Polls conducted in the IDF recently regarding the food quality have indicated a low level of satisfaction with the breakfast and lunch offerings, with many soldiers reporting that they prefer to purchase food off-base. The IDF has decided to vary the menu, and created a new menu in collaboration with professionals.
Israeli soldiers waiting for the buses, Tel Aviv, 2020.Tomer Appelbaum Tomer Appelbaum
The breakfast for combat troops will include a so-called Tunisian sandwich, “burekas with the works,” baguette with sabich, a pita with hummus and falafel, and a meal to go including muesli, cereal, energy bars and other choices. For lunch the combat troops will receive a choice once a week between spiced shawarma and grilled chicken breast, and one other time per week they will receive hamburgers. Vegetarian and vegan dietary needs will also be met, and the IDF will provide a vegan menu including grilled tofu, tofu schnitzel and tofu shawarma, as well as plant-based hamburgers.
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In addition, the IDF seeks to expand the “Teima” project, in which volunteers come to IDF outposts to cook homemade meals for the soldiers. The project is currently operating in 16 outposts, and the IDF wishes to increase the number of volunteers and also invest funds in the project if need be. Under the project, 130 IDF mess halls will be renovated, 79 of them by the upcoming Passover and the other 51 by June. “The renovations will focus on the mess hall appearance, with an emphasis on infrastructure and the acquisition of comfortable and inviting furniture,” according to IDF sources.
In some 80 remote outposts, where coed troops are stationed, an air-conditioned lounge will be set up where food will be served day and night. The need arose after combat troop complained that they often finish duty in the field late at night and go to sleep hungry. The lounges will serve, among other things, quick-prep dairy foods, such as yogurts, puddings, Belgian waffles, jahnoun, individual pizzas, fruits and vegetables, tehina, cornflakes, instant soup and energy bars. Each lounge will be equipped with a refrigerator, toaster, water bar, and microwave, and outside a porch for relaxation.
In medical care, the IDF will launch a program in the coming months to shorten the wait of conscript soldiers for expert medical treatment, and also renovate medical infrastructure and expanding access to medical services.
A senior IDF source addressed the gaps in the fields of transport, food, and medical care at a meeting held recently, admitting: “We weren’t good enough on all these subjects, no matter the reasons. A combat soldier coming back from operational duty in the middle of the night, it’s unacceptable that they can’t get a meal if they’re hungry. A combat soldier shouldn’t have to leave home 6-7 hours in advance to make it to the base on time. We’re fixing it and you can check up on us.”
