Female officer to command sniper platoon

'Guys were a bit surprised to see me reaching the peak and firing, but were mostly supportive,' Second Lieutenant Noy says after making history in IDF

Hanan Greenberg|Published: 06.29.11 , 18:55

Among the graduates of the Ground Forces officer course Wednesday at the Officers' Training School (Bahad 1) was one Second Lieutenant Noy, a combat soldier in the Caracal Battalion who made history by becoming the first female officer to command a sniper platoon.

"There were guys on the course who were a bit surprised to see me reaching the peak and firing, but mostly they were very supportive," Second Lieutenant Noy told Ynet.

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Noy, 21, lives on a Noshav in the Galilee and enlisted to the IDF in 2008. From the start it was clear to her that she wanted to be a combat soldier. "I knew I needed to do everything I could to contribute, which is why I came to Caracal."

After basic training, advanced training and then her role as an infantry company markswoman she was sent to a sniper course. The five week course is closed to all but combat soldiers and prepares cadets to shoot accurately in complex operational conditions.

Second Lieutenant Noy in action (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

"I realized very quickly that this is a profession, not just another job, but training where you need to practice and keep yourself at the highest level of fitness and readiness at all times," said Noy. "It takes a lot of patience, restraint and the ability to operate in complete silence and in difficult conditions."

She has no doubt that women can carry out the role just as well as men: "I don't know if I was the best, but the course gave me a lot, I completed my training and I'm back with my regiment."

In between training and courses Noy has also managed to carry out several ambushes on the Israel-Egypt border after which she decided to enroll in an officers' course – with the prestigious M-24 sniper rifle at her side.

"I recently received the news that I would be going back to my regiment to take command of a platoon of snipers, both men and women. It is a challenge and I'm happy to be the first one to do it."