2024-01-31 10:59:13
When Lt. Col. (resp.) Erez met Kashnar who was leaving on one of the first days of fighting – he had an idea. He understood that the Armored Corps needed more tanks for combat, and declared: “I know where to get more tanks.”
“I thought of reviving Merkava Siman 3, and bringing reserve personnel to operate these enormous tools when we return them to use,” he describes. At first his plan sounded impossible, even a little fanciful. But very quickly Lt. Col. (res.) Erez, who has since been awarded the title of commander of the new tank unit ‘Phoenix’ – proved otherwise.
The establishment of the unit took about a month, when the first step in the process was to select the tools that could be used. For this purpose, a professional team was assembled that went down with him to the Tzalim base, to examine tanks that had gone out of use in the 769th brigade. “For the next three days, we saw each and every tank with our own eyes. We examined them and mapped their competence,” he explains, “Kashnar approved to ‘revive’ 22 tanks Of them, and that’s what we started doing.”
Now, it’s time for the ‘resuscitation’ process he spoke of. The 703rd Armament Battalion was recruited for this mission, which retrained the tanks, replaced the faulty parts, repaired the systems – and made sure they were ready for combat at the moment of truth.
“The Mark 3 tank has good firepower, protection, and high levels of accuracy – and it is without a doubt suitable for combat,” emphasizes Lt. Col. (Res.) Erez, when asked about the doubts regarding the obsolescence of the tools, “Therefore, we had no doubt that the tanks are suitable for combat . Although we were a little worried about returning to fitness, we quickly proved that it is possible to return them to excellent performance.”
But at the same time as the tanks were brought back into operation – there was also the need for people. “In the beginning, the recruiting process for the unit was based on ‘a friend brings a friend,'” he explains, “we issued notices and distributed the unit on the networks, while we are simultaneously building the ‘unit tree,’ and looking for field positions and below.”
“After we accumulated the required SDC, professional training was conducted for the reservists by armor instructors in the Jordan camp and in Tzalim,” explains Lt. Col. (Retd.) Erez, “and thus we created four companies – three of them joined the forces in the field, and the last one did so in just a week the last one”.
The mission of these companies is clear – integration into the defense of the Northern Hetmar in the Gaza Division. The reservists of the ‘Phoenix’ do not cross enemy lines, but they have an equally important mission: they carry out defense of the country’s borders from within it, uncovering areas, frontal defense, shooting for identification and destruction, and integration into a ‘combined defense’ of infantry and forces on Rakam. So in fact, the regular forces that have been busy with defense until now – can switch to fighting inside the Gaza Strip.
“At the moment, until the permanent battalions enter into an operational employment routine in the sector, we know that we need protection,” he says about the continuation of the only way, “after we are replaced, the ‘Phoenix’ will disband, the tanks will return to the 14th Brigade and increase its strength, and the reservists They will return to the original units.”
“In this unit, we brought back two elements to their peak – the tanks, but also the people,” concludes Lt. Col. (res.) Erez, “like the tanks, so are the people, and the combination of both is the phoenix that has been resurrected. And the ending, it is also expected – we will reach the peak, and after we have performed all the tasks for which it is required in the best possible way – the unit will disperse and its people will continue to help where needed.”
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