IDF unit — Armored Corps / Shiryon (חיל השריון, tanks): Merkava crews, profile 72, training, brigades 7 / 188 / 401, women tank crews, olim

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Armored_Corps; https://draftidf.co.il/units/ (requirements) · 2026-09

What it is

The Armored Corps operates Israel’s Merkava main battle tanks (Mk 3 and Mk 4) in three regular brigades — 7th “Saar mi-Golan”, 188th “Barak” and 401st “Ikvot HaBarzel” — plus the 460th “Bnei Or” training brigade at Shizafon in the Negev, and a large reserve force. Tanks led the ground fighting in Gaza and Lebanon in 2023–2025. Tankists wear the black beret.

A tank crew has four roles:

• Driver (nahag)
• Loader (ta’an) — also the radio operator
• Gunner (tota’ch)
• Tank commander (mefaked tank) — after a further ~3.5-month course

Everyone first qualifies in one crew specialty; commanders and officers are selected from the crews.

Requirements

• Medical profile: minimum 72 — the lowest combat threshold, which makes Shiryon the main combat option for soldiers with glasses, mild asthma, or a back/knee history that rule out infantry (82). Profile 82/97 candidates can also choose it.
• Gibush: none — request on the manila. Palsar 7 (the 7th Brigade’s reconnaissance company) is entered through Gibush Yachatiot.
• Hebrew: no formal score, but crews communicate constantly by radio in Hebrew — the Michve Alon course is required for olim who score 6 or below.
• Height/size: extremely tall or large recruits may be steered to other roles because of turret space.
• Gender: mixed — women serve in tank crews in the Border Defense (haganat hagvulot) battalions (e.g. the all-female Pere squad), not currently in the manoeuvre brigades.

Path in and training

1. List Shiryon on the manila (you can note a brigade preference; assignment is by need).
2. Training at Shizafon: about 8 weeks basic training, 6 weeks crew specialty (driver / loader / gunner), then ~10 weeks of crew and platoon exercises — roughly 6 months to an operational crewman, ending with a beret march and the black beret.
3. Operational service in a battalion on a border sector or in training cycles; tank commander course, then officers’ course, for those selected.

Tankists cycle between long field exercises and operational deployments; life is crew-centred (four people who live and work together) rather than platoon-centred.

Service length

• 32 months for male combat soldiers; women in Border Defense tank crews sign for 32 months (vs 24 standard).
• Olim arriving at 22–27 who volunteer for combat: 24 months minimum.
• Reserve duty afterwards — armored reservists are called up heavily.

For olim

• Shiryon is often the right answer for an oleh who wants combat but has a 72 profile. It is also less dependent on marathon marching than infantry.
• Radio discipline makes Hebrew more important here than in some infantry roles; olim usually go through Michve Alon first and then to Shizafon.
• Common placement for lone soldiers; bases are in the deep south, so lone soldiers often live in Beer Sheva or on kibbutzim in the Negev.

Contacts

• Meitav: 1111 · Lone Soldier Hotline: *6563
• NBN Lone Soldiers Program: army@nbn.org.il