An anonymous commander in the IDF asked Unit 11741 to publish the following note on his behalf:
Hello,
My name is O’, a soldier in a classified unit that was established at the beginning of the current war. I received your information from Daniel and Chaya from Unit 11741, which has been supporting soldiers across all fronts of the country since October 7th.
For several months now, we have been experiencing a massive recruitment of reservists. Unfortunately, these soldiers are receiving combat equipment that does not meet standard requirements, and the quality varies between different fronts (Gaza = advanced equipment, North = adequate equipment, Judea and Samaria = outdated equipment from the 1980s). The national awakening on October 7th led to particularly high recruitment rates but also exposed a severe shortage of adequate combat equipment. As a result, Zionist individuals around the world organized and donated millions of dollars in equipment and funds to support IDF soldiers.
During my service in the Iron Swords War, I had the opportunity to collaborate with many units, and significant differences in equipment between the units were noticeable. Almost every soldier not serving inside the Gaza Strip was not equipped with a ceramic vest, a suitable helmet for night vision devices (NVD), NVDs, or a proper weapon for combat. The donations have allowed us to continue fighting with significantly improved equipment, but many challenges remain.
It is unfortunate that there are elements within the IDF and the Ministry of Defense that prevent the donated equipment from reaching the soldiers, claiming that comprehensive tests need to be conducted before the equipment can be used. While I agree that these tests are necessary, a body should be established within the Ministry of Defense to conduct expedited and efficient tests for the donated equipment without unnecessary bureaucracy and at no cost. It is important to note that there is currently equipment in the IDF that somehow entered operational use without proper ballistic testing. For example, many helmets are provided without covers that protect them, which reduces their safety level over time.
Additionally, today donations to the IDF are directed to the Ministry of Defense, which decides where the money is allocated. The lack of ability for donors to specify where their equipment or money goes decreases their motivation to donate since they do not receive documentation of how their money is used.
Regrettably, the Ground Forces Commander issued an order restricting the use of donations and even threatens to delay the supply of military equipment to units using donated equipment. Instead, soldiers should be allowed to use donated equipment until the full military equipment arrives. Consideration should be given to appointing representatives to visit brigades in the field to understand the soldiers’ needs and supply the necessary equipment quickly and efficiently.
There are many items that soldiers need, such as drones, generators, 3D printers, field cooking kits, portable power stations, storm suits, thermal cameras, and observation glasses. Every soldier needs quality boots, tactical uniforms, a ceramic vest, a helmet with an NVD mount, an M4 rifle with an M5 scope, protective glasses, a weapon light, Lowe backpack, a sleeping bag or lightweight mattress, selective earplugs, and a combat belt.
I hope this letter raises awareness of the critical need for proper equipment for our soldiers and promotes necessary changes in donation policies.
Best regards,
O’