IDF submariners: 'Darling it's better down where it's wetter'
Hundreds of meters below the sea, between currents and far from the Israeli border, submariners operate at all times. As Israel celebrates the holiday of Passover, submarines operate in the depths of the sea providing the IDF with intelligence that will decide the next war.
SSgt. 'B,' who serves on a submarine, explains what life is like in isolation from the outside world.
"When you go out on a mission, the submarine is constantly submerged and you don't surface again until the mission is complete," said SSgt. B.
"Aside from my professional training, they prepared us for the fact that we are going to be hundreds of meters underwater and disconnected from the outside world. Throughout your service, you learn to enjoy the small things in life—seeing the blue sky, the sun set, a rainbow. However, through the periscope, you can also see the enemy in front of your eyes and understand the importance of the mission."
Israel's submarine fleet was established in 1959 and combines sophisticated technology, quality manpower and a family atmosphere— resulting from the intimacy created when a group of people are confined in an underwater box for months on end.
"The operations are the most dominant aspect of life in the unit and we have dozens of operations a year, some of which are very complicated," said B. "A submarine can be underwater for a very long time, and it creates a special fraternity—it's like a second home for a lot of people. We live together around the clock, my team is my family."
(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
