IDF Chief of Staff wishing you a 'Happy New Year' with a smiling emoji

You ask, Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot answers. Soldiers ask their Chief of Staff open questions.

By MAARIV ONLINE
Updated: SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 18:36
Gadi Eisenkot (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Gadi Eisenkot
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot visited two Staff Sergeant paratroopers in the middle of an exercise up north on Friday to wish them a Hag Sameach [Happy Holiday] the Jerusalem Post’s sister publication Maariv reported.
They were ready to meet him with coffee and the following submitted by soldiers in the army Eisenkot has been leading for the past three and a half years, reported IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
Q: So how do you take your coffee?
A: Oh, that's a difficult problem. Most of my life I drank Turkish coffee. Over the past several years, I became boring and spoiled and started drinking espresso. I drink a lot of coffee. More than 10 cups a day, I think.
Q: Which emoji do you use most?
A: (Laughs) The one with the sunglasses.
Q: What’s the first thing you do when you come home?
A: Change my clothes in about 18 seconds.
Q: Where are you going to take your after-army trip?
A: My daughter returned this morning from a trip to Laos. I’ll listen to her experiences and see.
Q: Service dress or field dress uniform?
A: I prefer to always be wearing field dress. .
Q: When were you drafted?
A: November ’78. In a month, it’ll be 40 years.
Q: At 18, did you think you’ll be chief of staff?
A: I didn’t think I’ll be chief of staff, I did think I'd go to officer’s course. I was a good soldier in basic training, the best in the squad. It was clear that I’d go to the commander's course and then officer’s course.
Q: What tip would you give a young commander?
A: Go with what you believe in. Ask yourself what is the right thing to do. Not what’s “popular” or comfortable or easy; what’s the right thing to do.
Q: What are the main challenges the IDF faces today?
A: The army’s main challenge is to be strong and deter our enemies. At the end of the day, winning the war will only happen through ground forces operating correctly and defeating the enemy.
Q: When you think of an exemplary soldier, what do you imagine?
A: I see a soldier with a very high sense of his ability, with fighting spirit, with faith in his capabilities and those of his friends. In the past five months I spent many Fridays at the Gaza Strip. It was impressive, the way in which the battalions operated around the clock. Ultimately, our job as soldiers is to protect the civilians. To put ourselves at risk in order for them to lead regular lives in the kibbutzim behind us.
Q: Complete the sentence: the IDF for me is….?
A: Israel’s security warranty.
Q: What would you like to wish IDF soldiers for the new year?
A: First of all, that we may excel at our missions, and then for every soldier to take care of themselves, and that we may succeed in returning all of our soldiers home, safe and sound.
Q: Where will you be spending the upcoming holiday?
A: This holiday I’m spending at home, and like every holiday, we are inviting lone soldiers [Olim who serve in the IDF and have no family in Israel]. So I have my personal soldier (referring to his son), who I hope will be released home for the holidays, and more soldiers will join us.
On Sunday, Rosh Hashana eve during the evening prayers, many synagogues across the country will say a blessing for the IDF soldiers guarding our fronts. Shana Tova!
Translated by Hadas Labrisch


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