Last week around 6pm I got a call. ‘Blocked number’ blinked on the screen – I have couple of customers, mostly financial institutions that have blocked numbers, so I picked up the phone.
An automated machine started talking to me, asking me if I am who it thinks I am (well, security, you know), and then popped up the main surprise of the evening – an army reserve drill. Now.
For those not familiar with army service, I’ll explain in a nutshell. In Israel we have a mandatory service for men and women reaching the prime age of 18. Men serve 3 years (more if you’re an officer, special course/forces, etc) and women serve just under 2 years. At 21 you discharge, start college, work, life – and army reserve. Discharging from reserve is between 40-45, depending on the rank and role you perform. Some (like in my platoon) continue to volunteer until 50 and even more.
So, last week, the call, the drill. The rumors said we’ll have to sign-in, spend 3-4 hours in the base and they go back home. Told my significant other ‘I’ll be back’ by midnight. Left work, put on the uniform and started driving to somewhere in Israel (didn’t think I’ll actually tell you the location, right?). When I arrived, the (very) cold truth hit in the face: we’re in for a long night (3-4 hours sleep) and next morning we’re heading for ‘an excursion’, touring an area with the platoon. But, since we got in at 10pm, we had some time to burn. The good people from our battalion have arranged for a projector and a portable DVD. So, we sat in this hugh warehouse, watching The 40 Year Old Virgin. The wax scene is still hilarious, even after 5 times…
The pictures explain much better…
