By Michael Zeff/TPS
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inaugurated a new infantry brigade, dedicated entirely to special operations, on Sunday, December 27, at an official ceremony.
The new brigade, dubbed the Commando Brigade, will be comprised solely of infantry special-operations units removed from their previous chain of command structures to create this new tactical formation.
“The dangerous winds blowing from Lebanon, threats by the Islamic State, the escalation in Judea and Samaria as well as threats from the southern border, demand the capability of the personnel in this new brigade now more than ever,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot during the ceremony.
The new brigade was put under the command of Colonel David Zini, and will operate as part of the 98th Division of Infantry.
According to the IDF Spokesperson, the Commando Brigade is the brainchild of Lt. Gen. Eizenkot and is the implementation of operational lessons learned after Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006.
The objective of the units making up the brigade will be to perform operations and engage in combat beyond enemy lines.
“The Commando Brigade is not only an integration of the elite teams of the Infantry Corps under one command,” said Commander of the 98th Infantry Division Brigadier General Uri Gordin.
“It is also expected to lead operational and tactical thinking, to develop the knowledge and the art of war for special operations, to win wars and to strike our enemies between wars,” concluded Brigadier General Gordin.
Some of the elite units comprising the Commando Brigade include the Maglan unit, formerly of the Paratroopers Brigade, proficient in Seek and Destroy missions behind enemy lines; and the Egoz Reconnaissance unit, formerly of the Golani Brigade, proficient in counter terrorism and guerrilla warfare.
The chosen insignia for the new brigade depicts the Hebrew letter Kuf (C), the first letter in the Hebrew word for Commando, comprised of a commando knife rising from the sea and a double headed arrow above it. It symbolizes the special designation of the brigade and its mobility, by air land or sea.