Gadna (Israel)

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Gadna is an Israeli military program to prepare youth for their mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Force or Border Guard. A one week program of discipline and military learning run by soldiers of the Nahal Infantry Brigade, Gadna hosts an estimated 19,000 Israeli youth annually, as well as numerous foreign youths. [1]

[edit] Command structure

The Commanders, Sergeants and Officers wear the green beret of the Nahal Infantry, but they do not wear the badge of the infantry on their beret. They wear the education and youth corp badge on their infantry beret. Also they do not wear the Nachal Infantry shoulder tag with their uniform. Instead they wear an education and youth corps shoulder tag.

The commanders wear a brown braid on their left shoulders. Kids in Gadna are issued uniforms consisting of fatigue or B uniform pants and a shirt, a military belt, a canteen, and a canteen holder. Living in army tents or barracks the youth are organized into squads. The squad has two leaders chosen by the commander. The highest youth is taken under the base officer's wing and wears a braid on their left shoulder, or multi-colored (striped) epaulets. If they wear the braid they wear the same color epaulet as the rest of their unit. The second highest youth commander is the Sergeant. They wear special epaulets, usually black, and they never wear a braid.