Joining the army...

[Yoni]

34 days and counting.

Edit: I'm an idiot and miscalculated.

[hismajesty]

Didn't this already happen once?

[Yoni]

Not to me... I got like 6 draft dates until they figured out where and when they want me. This is still not 100% final, but it seems 95% final: I will be drafted on December 19, 2004.

[iago]

:-(!

What's that going to mean? How long/where/etc?

[Thing]

Yea, what iago said and also, we need pics of you in your uniform ... with your rifle.  How big is your rifle Yoni?  Are you looking forward to this or not?

[Meh]

Is this compulsaroy duty, or did u sign up?

[hismajesty]

Is this compulsaroy duty, or did u sign up?

It's a requirement in Israel, much like in Greece.

Yoni, I thought you left us for awhile to join bootcamp already, though.

[Meh]

That sucks. I wouldnt do it.Id run away. Run, Yoni, Run!

[Yoni]

What's that going to mean? How long/where/etc?

Where: Right now I don't know, when I do know I probably won't be allowed to say.

How long: 4 - 4.5 years. (Basic service is 3 years, but they'll want me to do a bit more.)

Availability: Until around April 2005, I'll only be around on weekends (and then - not all of the weekends). After that - I don't know. The best case is just like a job - being home every day after work and not working Fridays and Saturdays, but that hasn't been guaranteed to me yet.

It's a requirement in Israel, much like in Greece.

Not exactly. When we were in Greece we asked the Greeks about it. They have a draft, but they get to "choose" when to do it, whether immediately after school, or after college, or even later. (I have no idea how exactly that works, so don't ask me.) Here, we have some ways of delaying it, but usually it's a few months (more or less) after school, when you're 18.

Yea, what iago said and also, we need pics of you in your uniform ... with your rifle. How big is your rifle Yoni? Are you looking forward to this or not?

I'll do my best to get those pics, but I can't promise anything.
(Uniform pic is infinitely more likely than uniform+rifle pic.)

Dunno about size of rifle - don't have one yet. I suppose it'll be some kind of M-16. And I expect I'll only have it during boot camp (first 3.5-4 weeks); I'm not going to be in a combat unit.

Looking forward: Yes But not to boot camp. That's icky.

[Adron]

Dunno about size of rifle - don't have one yet. I suppose it'll be some kind of M-16. And I expect I'll only have it during boot camp (first 3.5-4 weeks); I'm not going to be in a combat unit.

Not in a combat unit? You're going into intelligence?

[Meh]

If i had cumpalsory duty, Id either choos Navy or Air Force. Ifd it had to be army i would choos infantry over inteligence, for the pure fact I would have the chance to kill somone and be shot back at.

[Skywing]

I'd hate to have the chance to kill somebody.

Working in intelligence would be cool.  I nearly had a job at CSE-CST (which is the Canadian version of CIA).  I would have needed top-secret clearance and wouldn't be allowed to even admit I worked there.  But it didn't pan out.

So does that mean you'd have a "cover job" for if people asked questions about where you worked?

[hismajesty]

Not exactly. When we were in Greece we asked the Greeks about it. They have a draft, but they get to "choose" when to do it, whether immediately after school, or after college, or even later. (I have no idea how exactly that works, so don't ask me.) Here, we have some ways of delaying it, but usually it's a few months (more or less) after school, when you're 18.

Ah, has it always been like that? My mom had a boyfriend who was born in Greece, and when he turned 18 he had to go back to join the army. I just assumed it was a requirement at that age.

Also, you didn't answer my question. Didn't you go and do bootcamp and stuff already?

[Skywing]

Also, you didn't answer my question. Didn't you go and do bootcamp and stuff already?

Looking forward: Yes  But not to boot camp. That's icky.

[Hazard]

They won't put him in a combat unit more than likely, the reality is that he can be more useful elsewhere.