Israel Defense Forces create unit to recruit and retain officers — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, the Israel Defense Forces have created a new unit, "Gamma," intended to improve the recruitment, retention and transfer of servicemembers in career service. The program began operating around the beginning of 2026, Lieutenant Colonel Anat, who heads the unit, told the Jerusalem Post in an interview.
According to her, previously, servicemembers who could not continue their careers in their original field of service effectively had no mechanism for seeking other opportunities in the military. The unit is to strategically focus on personnel development and help military personnel find new professional paths.
New service directions
Anat said that military personnel who have reached the limit of career advancement in their units can transfer to the legal, logistics or personnel structures of the Israel Defense Forces. She also gave the example of wounded commanders who can be retrained to work in cyber fields or intelligence.
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In her assessment, there is significant potential among reservists and people who have not served for a long time to return to the military. After October 7, 2023, more reservists have shown interest in career service, the officer said. At the same time, she emphasized that more opportunities have emerged to begin or continue a career in combat and combat-support units, while former combat officers can become instructors.
Support for military personnel and families
The new unit consists of three departments and has 30 specialists who understand different areas of military service and the motivations of civilians considering a return to the army.
Lieutenant Colonel Anat called career officers the backbone of the Israel Defense Forces — from commanders of combat units to intelligence and computer specialists. She noted that the intense workload of the past three years of war has exhausted career servicemembers, while their pensions have become smaller than before. "Gamma" is also to support officers' families, including by helping spouses find flexible work and expanding educational opportunities for military personnel.
