Studies in Generalship by Meir Finkel

Author:Meir Finkel [Finkel, Meir]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, General
ISBN: 9780817924768
Google: uExDEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Hoover Press
Published: 2021-10-01T02:43:57+00:00

Emphasizing Education and Training

In April 1974, during a general staff meeting, Gur spoke of the need to educate and train armor officers. He ordered the rapid conversion of as many infantry and paratrooper officers to armor as possible. Two goals motivated this decision: one, to replenish the recently depleted armor officer roster; and two, to advance the combined arms battle concept. He believed that the more commanders with two-pronged experience—infantry and armor—the smoother and less strained the employment of combined forces would be.21

The following year Gur discussed the mutual effort that was needed to enlarge and man the tank inventory. The measures to be taken would include the conversion to armor of elite Nahal (infantrymen) soldiers and religious-military programs (military service combined with religious study). It would also be necessary to strengthen these soldiers’ professional knowledge and lengthen their service time in the armored units in the coming year:

If we build up the number of units, which is imperative given the ratio of forces between our side and the enemy’s, then we’ll have to come up with social, educational, instructional, and training solutions, such as simulators and additional training time in the field. The instruction array will be expanded and undergo a thorough process of modernization, sophistication, and efficiency. Only at the end of the year will we know if the effort has succeeded, if it’s produced better forces. I believe that this is our problem! In the coming work year we’ll have more than enough equipment. Agreements have been signed for the supply of tanks, artillery, and AFVs, though the arrival date isn’t certain. Maybe there’ll be a slowdown, but the goods will eventually get here. Now the troops have to be trained—and this we will do.22

In a meeting with the defense minister in December 1977, Gur ordered Mahad to display the latest training methods and systems. Commanders of the training bases and divisions were invited. He pointed out that the size and quality of the army demanded the continuous upgrade of fighting skills with minimum resources in the shortest possible time.23

Immediately after the war, Yossi Peled received command of the 460th Training Brigade for junior armor staff. Too many armor commanders had been injured in the war. The 460th Brigade was tasked with rehabilitating the corps’ command backbone. Peled said, “I’ll never forget the experience of instructing commanders not only in professional matters but also in educational and ethical areas. I met many former infantry officers in the brigade who had gone through professional retraining to armor.” After the war, the IDF realized it had a large surplus of highly trained infantry officers and a shortage of armor officers. Moreover, one of the lessons of the war was that the armored corps had to be expanded. The IDF looked to infantry officers to become armor officers. Although most of them were reserve officers who had served a long and stressful stint during and after the war, their response was very good. Most of them quickly integrated into veteran armored units and new formations.

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