123rd Submariners’ Course––The Experience of a Lifetime

"I am PO2 G.––a graduate of the 123rd Submariners’ Course.

When I started to think about my military service, I wanted a position that combined combat, thinking and operational activity. The Submariners’ Course united all those wishes for me and I found everything I was looking for in it.

I researched the program and found the Submarine Flotilla very intriguing. It was something about the quiet and secrecy surrounding the unit that fascinated me.

During my senior year of high school I applied to become a submariner. I passed all of the tests and got accepted to the unit. I began my training and told myself that I had to finish the course, no matter what.

For me, the first part of the training was the most challenging part of the course, both physically and mentally. It’s a very long period that tests you on a lot of parameters. You’re being evaluated over everything you do, from complex tasks that test your conduct in an extreme situation to simple daily activities. During this period of the course, many people are eliminated. You feel a need to prove yourself and mainly—you want to succeed.

It was an experience that matured me and taught me to look at things from a different perspective. Sailing in the submarine was my favorite part of the course. It’s a part that actually prepares you for your service in the flotilla. You suddenly realize what the essence of the position is and how much your presence and the flotilla’s activity are significant and crucial to the State of Israel’s security.

The second part of the course is the professional period. In the beginning you divide into “majors” and every major studies separately and broadens their knowledge on the relevant subject. You pass many tests and simulator training sessions in order to be as ready for the real thing as possible.

Now, after a year and two months of the course, I finally reached the finish line. I can say after the most challenging, life changing, growthful experience of my life, that it’s an amazing place with phenomenal people.”