IDF units — mixed-gender light infantry battalions: Caracal (קרקל, 33rd), Bardelas (ברדלס), Arayot HaYarden (אריות הירדן), Cheetah — Border Defense Corps, women in combat, profile, training, olim
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracal_Battalion; https://draftidf.co.il/units/ (requirements) · 2026-09
What they are
The IDF’s mixed-gender light infantry battalions guard Israel’s long land borders as part of the Border Defense Corps (haganat hagvulot). They are full combat units — infantry training, weapons, patrols, ambushes, incident response — roughly 60–70% women, and were the first IDF units to put women in front-line infantry roles.
| Battalion | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Caracal (33rd) | Egyptian border (Negev/Sinai line), Paran Brigade | Founded 2000; named for a wild cat whose sexes look identical. Fought at Nitzana/Sufa on 7 Oct 2023, killing ~100 attackers. Includes the all-female Pere tank squad |
| Bardelas (“Cheetah”) | Southern Jordan Valley / Arava border | Founded 2015 |
| Arayot HaYarden (“Lions of Jordan”) | Northern Jordan Valley | Founded 2014 |
| Cheetah / additional battalions | Various | The corps has expanded since 2023 |
Beret: light green (Caracal wears a yellow-camouflage variant). They belong to the Infantry Corps for training purposes.
Requirements
- Medical profile: minimum 82 for both men and women.
- Gibush: none — request on the manila. Women who want infantry list “lochemet” (female combat soldier) and one of these battalions.
- Hebrew: no formal score; olim with 6 or below do Michve Alon first (there is a women’s track at Michve Alon).
- Gender: mixed by design. Men in these battalions are usually those whose profile or preference did not place them in a single-gender brigade.
Path in and training
- List the battalion on the manila.
- About 4 months basic training (Caracal historically at the Givati base) followed by advanced training — roughly 7–8 months to operational, with a beret march at the end. Weapons are M4/M16 carbines; specialties include sharpshooter, medic, Negev gunner, observation and driving.
- Operational service on the assigned border: patrols, lookout posts, ambushes, response to infiltration and smuggling.
Service length
- Women in combat roles sign for 32 months (standard female service is 24).
- Men: 32 months.
- Olot arriving at 22–27 who volunteer for combat: 32 months for women (per the olim service chart), 24 months for men.
- Reserve duty afterwards for both.
Which combat roles are open to women (2026)
Mixed infantry (this chunk) · Border Defense tank crews · Artillery · Air Defense · Search & Rescue (Home Front Command) · Magav · Combat Intelligence Collection (Isuf Kravi) · Oketz · Unit 669 (since 2023) · Navy ship crews · Pilots’ course. Closed: Golani/Givati/Nahal/Kfir/Paratroopers battalions and most special forces.
For olim
- The standard combat answer for an olah with an 82 profile who wants infantry. Many lone-soldier women serve in Caracal and Bardelas; Garin Tzabar sends women here regularly.
- Bases are remote (Negev, Arava, Jordan Valley) — expect long stretches on base and a long trip home; lone-soldier housing in Beer Sheva or on kibbutzim is common.
- Note the 32-month commitment for women in combat, longer than the 24 months an olah would otherwise serve.
Contacts
- Meitav: 1111 · Lone Soldier Hotline: *6563
- NBN Lone Soldiers Program: army@nbn.org.il