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Photo: Yariv Katz
Reserve soldiers from Eitan's former unit asking to be reassigned in protest of his dismissal
Photo: Yariv Katz

Commander who refused order asks soldiers not to rebel

Maj. Manny Eitan, who was ousted for refusing to wake his soldiers for an exercise, asks his former soldiers not to rebel, but to 'raise your head and go on'; IDF Spokesperson: 'Refusal of any kind undermines basic foundations on which a military organization is based.'

Maj. Manny Eitan, the company commander who was ousted by Northern Command chief Yoel Strick because he refused to wake up his soldiers for training, tried on Tuesday to calm his angry soldiers, dozens of whom had already asked to be reassigned via Form 55 to a different unit in protest over his dismissal. In his farewell letter, he called on them not to act against the army's orders, regardless of how angry the decision has made them.

 

 

Eitan asked the protesting soldiers to avoid rebelling and wait until he is replaced and the next commander arrives.

 

Reserve soldiers from Eitan's former unit asking to be reassigned in protest of his dismissal (Photo: Yariv Katz)
Reserve soldiers from Eitan's former unit asking to be reassigned in protest of his dismissal (Photo: Yariv Katz)

 

"The investigation has been completed. My position has not been accepted, and I've been officially dismissed," Eitan wrote to his soldiers. "I've had the pleasure of being with you and commanding you. As commanders yourselves, you are required to raise your head and move on because the task and need are greater than any role. I want you to continue to lead the people forward, do not give up and do not lower standard. You are the best company out there, and you have achieved it with a lot of hard work and determination. Do not give in to people, and do not let a rebellion or anything like that take place. "

 

The deposed company commander added, "Keep your people safe, since we may need to prove what we know during battle. I love each of you personally, in the coming days I will also talk to you personally, and of course we will always stay friends."

Eitan also tweeted that "this isn't a matter of the army against a company commander. The army has set clear instructions that must not be violated, there is a brigade commander who passed an order that sent the system into a tailspin."

 

Eitan added that "in the investigation, the brigade commander presented 'alternative facts' that supported his understanding of the safety instructions, and the battalion commander and I emphasized that there was no such thing." He later, wrote that the brigade commander "brazenly lied."

 

Other commanders against Maj. Eitan: 'I was ashamed'

While his own soldiers have come to his defense, other commanders have voiced their disagreement with Maj. Eitan's actions.

 

"I was ashamed when I heard that a company commander refused to wake up his soldiers for the," posted Lt. Col. (res.) Haim Havshush on Facebook.

 

"As commanders in the IDF, we are all committed to and responsible for the safety of our soldiers. It is our duty as commanders to express an opinion, persuade and even argue with orders or commands that we think are wrong. Sometimes our opinions are heard and sometimes a different decision is made , But once the commander's decision has been made and we have received a mission, we must align ourselves with the task in the most professional manner, which is the source of the IDF's power and strength. We must not lose our way."

 

The IDF Spokesperson's Office said in response that "the IDF attaches great importance to the reserve service and maintaining cohesion within the military framework. The decision to terminate the company commander's position after he refused an order was made by commanders who are in charge of the army's preparedness for war and emergency, with all seriousness and through a moral commander's perspective.

 

"Refusal of any kind undermines the basic foundations on which a military organization is based that invests most of its efforts in improving its preparedness for times of war."

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.14.17, 22:32
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