First Female Search and Rescue Brigade Battalion Commander

Last night on September 4th, 2022, LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah entered her new position as Commanding Officer of the “Shahar” Battalion in the Search and Rescue Brigade of the Home Front Command. LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah is the first woman to serve in the position and will replace the battalion’s current commanding officer, LTC Yakir Bokobza.

LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah, enlisted to the Search and Rescue Brigade in 2005 and completed all of the commanding positions in the “Shahar” Battalion in the brigade. After concluding her position as a company commander, LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah studied and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and returned to the command to serve as the Head of the Population Branch of the Southern District and as the Aide-De-Camp of the former Commanding Officer of the Home Front Command.
In the last year, LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah served as the Deputy Commanding Officer of the “Ram” Battalion, while also being the first woman to serve in the position.
LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah is married and a mother of three children.

The “Shahar” Battalion was established in 2008 and is the first regular service battalion of the Search and Rescue Brigade. The battalion has 3 companies, “Shavit'', “Hetz” and “Rotem”. In the past year, the “Shahar” Battalion has carried out extensive operational activity in the Judea and Samaria area, including dozens of weapon apprehensions, detainments, investigations and inticement material identifications. The battalion greatly aided in the widespread efforts made to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and also in the activity in the civilian area of the city of Sderot during Operation “Breaking Dawn”.

Incoming Commanding Officer of the “Shahar” Battalion, LTC Yarden Shokron Yifrah: “The sentence ‘to be a free people in our land’ receives an entirely new meaning for me when I picture the assistance the ‘Shahar’ Battalion will provide to Israeli civilians when the command is given. Together we will lead a prominent rescue team to victory.”