Brig. Gen. Mufid Ganam appointed as Chief Logistics Officer. Photo: IDF Spokesperson

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There are people who will consider the appointment of Brig. Gen. Mufid Ganam as IDF Chief Logistics Officer an important step for Druze serving in the IDF, since there has never been a Druze Corps Chief Officer before. The Chief Logistics Officer himself is not one of them and he refuses to feel like a precedent: "It doesn't feel exceptional to me. There have been high ranking Druze officers before, one of them even reached the rank of Major General. We are not foreigners here – we are citizens of the State of Israel and share its rights and duties. We are part of Israeli society, and as such Druze soldiers serve in the IDF like any other soldier. The Druze are treated equally and are deployed in all IDF units according to their abilities and qualifications," he declares. "But on a personal level, I am of course very excited. I am entering a senior position, a challenging one that I wanted and aspired to, so it's natural for me to feel that way."

Brig. Gen. Ganam began his military career as a combat soldier in an Infantry Corps battalion. After completing the IDF Officers School, he joined the Logistics system and advanced in core positions: At the beginning as a Company Commander, then as Brigade Logistics Officer in the Gaza division during the Intifada. Afterwards he was the Logistics Officer of Spatial Brigade 406 and the Givati Brigade. During 30 years of service in the IDF, he also served as Logistics Officer of the Ground Forces Training Center, Head of the Ground Forces Logistics Department, Logistics Officer of the Central Command and Deputy Chief Logistics Officer.

Brig. Gen. Ganam, 50, lives with his wife and their five children in the village Madjer, where he was born and his family has been living for numerous generations. He says that he grew up in a relatively strongly military house, especially thanks to his father: "My father fought in the War of Independence and worked in security services for 25 years. It all came from him. It was very important to him that his children would have a meaningful service in the IDF." Mufid is not the only officer in his family: One of his brothers reached the rank of Colonel and served as a brigade commander, and another brother served as a doctor in the IDF.

The deep connection between the family and the IDF also claimed its sacrifices. In 1998 the family paid the highest price of all, when one of their members, who served as a combat soldier, was critically wounded during an operation, that lead to his death. "It's a very sensitive topic for me. Even before it happened, it was very important to me to advance the subject of wounded soldiers in the Logistics Corps. I believe that the Logistics Corps deals with the topic excellently, and I intend to keep it that way."