As Israel fights its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the battles are being fought from bases across the country. One such base is Ramat David Airbase, southeast of Haifa, where the soldiers in the control tower are helping the operations in the South.
The soldiers manning the tower have been providing the IAF with air-control support since Saturday, when the war broke out.
Lior, an officer who works in the tower, said she did not wait to be called up. She dropped her plans for the day and was at the base ready to help within half an hour of seeing messages about the massive Hamas attack.
Morale on the base is high, Lior said Wednesday.
The job at hand
“We all understand the task at hand, the responsibility we have, and what it means,” she told The Jerusalem Post.Lior’s job is to focus on giving professional and emotional support to her soldiers, who are faced with a war on this scale for the first time.
“The tower is like a family,” she said. “Everyone is together all the time and working toward a victory.”
The soldiers manning the tower have received great support from their families and the rest of the population, who have sent them everything they may need and more, Lior said.
And while the fighting is mainly concentrated in the South, their work in the North is important for the operations in the South, she said.
Regarding the escalating situation on the northern border, with rocket fire from Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday night, Lior said she and her colleagues, for the time being, would be focusing on military support for the South, even though they are based in the North. Nevertheless, they are still capable and ready to help anywhere in the country they may be needed, she added.