The combatants were shocked to see their young Intelligence NCO joining in their nightly exercises. They could bear the fact that a non-combat soldier might be capable of joining them - but how could one missing an arm?

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There is not a single combat soldier who cannot recall at least one instance during Basic Training when he was told that 'a liter of sweat is equal to a drop of blood.' This saying would often be followed by speeches about the importance of motivation. Every commander is capable of explaining to his soldiers how willpower is the strongest force of all in battle. There is no doubt that the IDF, regardless of the fact that a mandatory draft law exists in Israel, is the military with the highest percentage of soldiers who are engrossed by their extreme motivation. It is not a mere coincidence that every year thousands of youths join the IDF despite various health issues, which would otherwise absolve them of their mandatory service requirement. It is not by chance that thousands of Jews from around the world join them in Israel simply for the opportunity to enlist in the IDF. Not to forget the soldiers who were wounded and declared in critical condition, and were recommended to leave their service by military doctors, and decided to persevere. They returned to service in combat units, of course.

He does it all with one hand

The Golani Brigade champion in rope climbing, a fighter in Lebanon, marked by the Chief of Staff as an outstanding soldier on Independence Day, outstanding soldier at the Combat Officers' Course, Intelligence officer in the elite 'Egoz' unit, commander of a team of 'Egoz' combatants, commander of the 'Yakinton' post in the past war in Lebanon. What qualities must one embody to acquire all of these titles? The answer is courage, initiative, determination, coolness under pressure, a high level of physical fitness and mental acuity, a perfect physical profile, and two strong hands. Captain (Res.) Yakir Segev has all of these characteristics apart from the last two. That did not keep him from achieving these accomplishments.

Yakir, who lost his hand in a traffic accident at the age of 3, has a 21 medical profile, and was relieved of his general service requirement. His volunteers' identification card reads that he is exempted from basic training, kitchen duties, guard duty, roll calls, operate firearms, and driving. Even as a commander in the elite Egoz unit doing 60 push-ups with one hand, he continued to walk around with the sheet of paper listing his exemptions and showed it from time to time to his soldiers. How could a soldier complain about holding the top of a push up after that?

Egoz Unit soldier during guerilla warfare training. Photo: Abir Sultan, IDF Spokesperson

But the saga does not end there; it does not even begin the story of Segev's travels to Lebanon. Military doctors told him that he had no chance of joining infantry units. Segev, who had never given up in his life, began to send letters to the Chief of Staff, to his deputy, to the GOC Northern Command, and to anyone who had influence in the matter. The letters touched Major general Amiram Levin, the commander of the Northern Command at the time, who made sure that an arrangement between Segev and the Golani Reconnaissance Unit was possible. In November of 1995, without having gone through basic training, Private Segev arrived at the base of the unit. The combatants were shocked to see their young Intelligence NCO joining in their nightly exercises. They could bear the fact that a non-combat soldier might be capable of joining them- but how could one missing an arm? After he went through marches, navigation treks, infantry training, urban warfare exercises, attack maneuvers, and other grueling training, he was ready to set his foot into Lebanese mud.

In the courtyard where they gathered to leave in Convoys for Lebanon, Segev made sure to hide himself from sight as much as possible. "If the armored corps commander who was leading the convoy had seen me, he would have started to ask questions, and he woulod have left me in Israel," explained Segev in the interview. In Lebanon, Segev understood how important the Intelligence NCO's position was. Before any operation the unit would launch, he would spend hours observing the designated sector of operations from their post, in order to study the area. There, when he observed his friends going into an operation, he understood that he could no longer be a spectator. He had to take an active part. He decided to go into the Combat Officers' Course in order to advance his interests, and go out into the field with the rest of the combat soldiers. However, even that was not so simple.

Soldiers go into operations in Lebanon, during the war last summer. Photo: Abir Sultan, IDF Spokesperson

The military denied his request to go to Officers' School. Segev was told by all administrative bodies that a soldier with one arm could not successfully complete Officers' School. They said that he would not last a week. But Segev was not the kind of person who would let bureaucracy get in his way. Colonel Tamir Yadai, today Golani Brigade Commander, who was then the bureau chief of the deputy Chief of Staff, was already familiar with Yakir's story from the brigade, and decided to do all that he could to help him become an officer. Yadai would not cease his requests to his commander, Major General Matan Vilnai, until he agreed to let Segev join the Combat Officer's Course. However, one of the main restrictions on volunteers in the military pertains to possession of a weapon. The final straw standing in Segev's way, before he could go into Officers' School was the military committee to allow weapons use for exceptions. The doctors of the committee had to restrain themselves from laughing when Segev requested that they allow him to use a weapon in Officers' School, and take part in operations in Lebanon. How could a person with a 21 physical profile lie in ambush in the heart of Lebanon? It did not make sense to them. How would you cock your weapon? The members of the committee asked him. Segev asked them to wait a few minutes and left the room. He ran outside, and looked for the first soldier carrying a weapon. He borrowed the soldier's weapon, and returned to the room. Segev explained to the members that he had practiced in shooting ranges unofficially throughout his service. All that remained was their permission. So he put the butt under his arm, and cocked the gun. "Besides," he said with his winning smile, "During operations in Lebanon, your weapon is always cocked." The doctors, still in shock, signed the documents. It is no easy feat to deny someone with charisma radiating from his every pore. 

A year and a half after his first step in the mud of Lebanon, Segev had the honor of treading upon the sand of the Officers' School training base. After finishing Officers' Course as an excellent cadet, Colonel Hagai Mordechai, today the Paratroops Brigade Commander and, who was then the commander of the "Egoz" elite unit, knew that a soldier like Segev belonged in his unit, and made a specific request for him to be transferred. As a combat commander in the "Egoz" unit, he fulfilled his dream, and joined in the operations of the unit. Finally, Yakir Segev was a combatant.

In the first year of his combat service he got to know the area of Marj Ayun better than he knew Tel Aviv, and he saw the waters of the Litani River more than the Mediterranean Sea. It was decided that an exceptional soldier like Yakir was the best tool for educating the future generations of the elite unit. Segev was put in charge of a young squad of soldiers from the unit, who were at first somewhat surprised by their new commander. Regardless, they thought, how can an arm amputee command them in operations in the depths of enemy territory? After a few weeks under Segev's command, the soldiers understood that not only can they trust him to command them, but he would also bring out the best in them.

As he was released from service, Yakir volunteered for the "Aharay" ("after me!") pre-military preparation course in the Negev. The course prepares children from problematic backgrounds for military service in combat units, free of charge. Additionally, he began to give speeches-voluntarily, of course-in the center for leadership in "Ein Perat" in Ma'ale Adumim. Today, he is studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and is the head of the "New Spirit" students' organization which encourages societal activism among university students. Just because he is no longer in uniform does not mean that he isn't a commander in heart and soul.

Lance Armstrong of the Construction Corps

Another person who does not let physical disabilities stop him is Staff Sergeant Yotam Barkan. When he was 14 years old, for a reason as yet unknown, oxygen stopped reaching his brain. Luckily, thanks to his parents noticing, and rushing him to the hospital, his life was saved. As a result, his hearing was impaired, and the left side of his body became paralyzed. Yotam, who had been a regular youth up to that point, was forced to adjust to his new life. He moved to a school for the hearing impaired and learned to deal with his handicap. Despite the restrictions, he did not give up on his greatest love- bike riding. He continued to ride his mountain bike, and learned to respect the legend that is Lance Armstrong even more. "He is an athlete who can be an example for everyone," explains Yotam.  "He too overcame medical problems, and it did not stop him from winning."

Just like Segev, Yotam was also informed without a doubt that he would not be a regular soldier. He was given the option of volunteering. He realized that volunteering would not be such a simple prospect for him. The various committees that he had to stand before would lengthen his service by at least a number of months. Due to these considerations, he decided to take advantage of his time and study architectural engineering at the Ort College in Rehovot.

Staff Sergeant Yotam Barkan. Photo: IDF Spokesperson

In perfect timing, his permission to volunteer arrived just as he finished studying. Yotam began his service with a Bachelors degree. When asked where he wanted to serve, he answered that he would like to serve at the IDF Construction Center, where he could take advantage of the knowledge which he had gained. He quickly learned that studying architecture and serving at the Center were not one and the same. Instead of planning future structures, Yotam is in charge of the building rights for existing structures. Nevertheless, Yotam continued to give it his all, and a year later he became the instructor for the newer recruits at the Center.

"Yotam is a big success story," says his commander, Major Alfer Levine. "In my 13 years in the military, I have seen plenty of healthy engineers who do not take advantage of their talent, and just let it go to waste. People who just want to finish off their military service. Yotam achieved everything he did by himself, not through anyone else's pity. He does so much, and is here to help out." After a number of months in his position, Alfer decided that Yotam was made of the right stuff, and decided to send him to the Officers' Course. Yotam did not pass the medical examinations which preceded the course itself, and his commander thought that he would have to bid his best soldier farewell after he finished his third mandatory year of service. However, a prominent officer who heard about the case relayed it to the Chief Logistics Officer of the time, Brigadier General Roni Morano. The latter invited the pair to his office, where he promised he would try to get him to the course despite the difficulties. If the attempt was unsuccessful, he said that he would make a NCO spot available in the division.

Despite Morano's appeals, the Officers' School decided against reconsidering Yotam's acceptance. However, the promise remained, and Yotam agreed to an additional year of professional military service. As Armstrong serves as inspiration for millions worldwide, so is Yotam to those around him. "Soldiers who see him working hard and giving of himself can’t look at themselves in the mirror afterwards if they spent all day smoking on the grass instead of working," Alfer explains. "Why enlist if you don’t want to help out?" agrees Yotam. "We must enlist and help out. This is our country. This is our mission from above." When he is asked about the comparison between him and his idol, he agrees-to a point. "I feel a little like Armstrong, my obstacles may stall me a bit but in the long run they will not keep me from achieving my goals."

Today, as he is well into the year of professional service which he agreed to, Barkan remembers his first days as a soldier. "Apart from filling out the induction papers, when I couldn’t find all of the stops on the way, I do not recall any difficulties from my service." His chance to change the impression he made while filling out the papers is quickly approaching, as his release date is near; soon the new race begins, life. What does he intend to do now? He only knows that it will not be anything to do with architecture. "I was not impressed by architecture; I will probably get a degree in a different subject."

On foot from Lebanon, with one knee

Getting back to the Golani brigade, today, the story of Staff Sergeant Or Amarel stands out from the rest. The guy from Karkur knew that he would serve in the brigade even before he knew how to walk. Where else could he go? His grandfather, his father, and his brother all served in Golani. In August of 2004 he enlisted, as four of his best friends awaited the November draft to receive their uniform, and were still unsure of which brigade they would join. The first three were easily persuaded, but Staff Sergeant Itai Ben Haim only gave in through the intense pressure that the entire Amarel family applied to him. It wasn't that he had anything against the brigade; it was just that his father Brigadier General (res.) Amos Ben Haim was a paratrooper. But he was not just any paratrooper, he was the second in command of the entire brigade. Their house is decorated with medals and citations from the brigade. Putting a brown (-Golani) beret in there, would not be a simple matter. Nevertheless, Itai decided that with all due respect to the tradition of his father, the lore of the Amarel family, and his chance to serve with his three best friends decided in favor of the 1st Brigade. Four out of the five friends were placed in Battalion 12, three of which ended up in the same company.

As war broke out last summer, the company, which was in the middle of training at Har Dov, was deployed in Lebanon, together with Golani Brigade Battalion 51. Or served as the Negev operator in the battalion's patrol platoon. Itai served as a squad commander in the sabotage platoon. A number of weeks into the war, the company was sent to Kefar Muhabab. During the night, the patrol platoon found a weapons cache in Wadi Saloki. On their way back to the village, they identified a suspicious house, and were ordered to fire in its direction. After a few minutes, the house, which had apparently been booby-trapped, exploded. Or, who was positioned at the edge of the sector, was operating with a loaded machine gun, and received an injury to his knee. "I felt a sharp, acute pain in my knee, I tore my pants, and I saw the blood spurting in all directions from my knee," Or recalls. "I had a big smile on my face," after all he was a Golani combat soldier at heart. At the beginning, Or thought that it was a flesh wound, and the amount of adrenaline that was rushing through his body managed to shut out the pain. After he was tended to by the company medic, Or returned with the rest of the platoon to the house where they were sleeping.

Simultaneously, Itai and his platoon were positioned at a house a few meters away, and covered the patrol platoon.  "It is impossible to recreate the feeling that came over me when I heard 'match, light, Amarel is wounded'. I panicked. My best friend is wounded in the middle of Lebanon, and I am only a few meters away from him, and can't do anything. I did not know what was wrong with him, but even if it was just a scratch, they didn't say anything over the radio. I immediately assumed the worst."

Or spent the night with his knee bandaged. When he woke up in the morning, he realized that his knee had swollen to more than twice its original size. It was turning black, and was starting to bleed and pus. After an additional treatment by the medic, everyone was sure that it was just a flesh wound, and that the swelling was just caused by water that had gathered at his knee from the strength of the impact. When they left on an operation, Or discovered that he could not walk. The decision was made; they must evacuate him back to Israel. Due to the intense warfare in the area, and the fact that the company was leaving for Israel anyway for a breather of a few days, it was decided that the risk in sending a tank or a helicopter for evacuation was too great. His return trip from Lebanon to Israel, a journey of approximately 5 Kilometers, Or would spend on a stretcher. At the beginning he did not agree to it, he did not want to make it difficult for his friends, he preferred to try it on foot. Only after he received an order from his company commander did he get on the stretcher. Or was on the stretcher for less than half a minute-when it snapped in two. The next five kilometers, Or would have to do on foot.  The medic splinted his knee so that he would not be able to put any pressure on that foot while walking. During the entire journey Or leaned on his friend, hopping on one foot. "I walked for three hours and cried like I've never cried before. I have never felt such pain."

Staff Sergeant Or Amarel. Photo: IDF Spokesperson

After three hours, which probably felt like two thousand years, Or finally reached the holy land, where he was evacuated to the military clinic in Katzrin. At the clinic, the gravity of his situation was determined. Two large pieces of shrapnel had pierced his knee, with one of them settling on his tendon. He was sent to an emergency operation in the "Ziv" hospital in Safed. There, they managed to extract one of the shrapnel fragments. A few days later he was sent to a specialist at the "Ichilov" hospital in Tel Aviv. During the operation which he underwent there, the doctors decided that it would be best if they left the second piece of shrapnel in place, so that the tendon would not be damaged further. From "Ichilov" Amarel was taken for recover at the 'Bet Levinstein' recovery center. The doctors there said that he could expect a long recovery process-taking place over at least half a year. Only at the end of the extended procedure was he supposed to be able to walk again. Could he go back to his combat unit? That was not part of the plans the doctors had for him. But anyone brought up in Golani will not let doctors hold them back. Roughly two months later, Or was already walking, and left the recovery center to rest up at home. They say that home is where the heart is, maybe that can explain why he spent his time resting with his battalion. A few weeks later, he stood before the medical committee which was to decide the nature of the rest of his military service. All of the doctors agreed that lowering his physical profile to 21, and releasing him from military service was the right step. But he would not allow it; he explained to them how important his service was to him. Besides, a little pain when walking, sitting, standing, and lying down, was not that much of a bother to him. The doctors allowed him to continue his service, but in a combat support unit. "On the lists, I was registered as a support troop, but I had really gone back to the patrol platoon," he explains. "A little handicapped, but I participated in operations like everyone else." The commander of the company, who knows Or, and stayed with him throughout the entire ordeal, said that despite his official medical profile, he could do as much as he was capable of doing, and if he wanted, he could return to serve as a combat soldier. Additionally, the company commander said that he would help him raise his profile. After a number of months in which he did not give in to the pain, and took part in all of the operations of the battalion, Or returned to the medical committee. He gave up the handicapped privileges which were given to him, as well as his status as a handicapped soldier. He proved to them that he could be a combat soldier.  The doctors, who were shocked by his rapid rate of recovery, allowed him to return to his status as a combatant, and returned his profile to its original 97.

Today, Or functions much the same as all of the other combat soldiers, and is approaching the end of his service. His knee still hurts, and he has a monthly check-up at the hospital to ensure that his situation does not worsen. "I still feel pain. There is still a foreign object in my knee, it scratches with my every motion, and it becomes most noticeable in the cold. But it's okay, I don't give in to the pain-I continue. That is the best possible way to get better." On the last Independence Day, Or received the Exceptional Soldier citation from the GOC Northern Command, and received accolades from Major General Gadi Eizenkot. "I honestly do not deserve this, there are soldiers-even in my battalion-who deserve this more than me." This August Or is supposed to complete his service; however, he is considering signing for an additional four months of professional service in order to be released at the same time as his four friends. "What would I do at home without them? I have to make up for the time I was on sick leave anyway."