Paratroopers Brigade (IDF)
| Paratroopers Brigade | |
|---|---|
Paratroopers Brigade Insignia
|
|
| Active | 1955 - present |
| Country |
 Israel
|
| Branch |
.svg){kind=small} Army
|
| Type | Paratrooper |
| Role | Paratrooper Infantry Special reconnaissance |
| Size | 4 Battalions |
| Part of |
98th Paratroopers Division (Reserve), Infantry Corps |
| Motto(s) |
"Initiate, Lead, Make an Example and Win"; |
| Colors | Maroon beret, Red & White Flag |
| March | "Kol Hazman Tzanchan" (Always a paratrooper) |
| Mascot(s) | Winged Snake (Shfifon) |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel Nimrod Aloni |
| Notable commanders |
Ariel Sharon, Rafael Eitan, Moshe Ya'alon |
"Initiate, Lead, Make an Example and Win";
The Paratroopers Brigade (Hebrew: חֲטִיבַת הַצַּנְחָנִים, Hativat HaTzanhanim), also known as the 35th Brigade, is an elite unit of paratroopers within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and forms a major part of the Infantry Corps. It has a history of carrying out special forces-style missions dating back to the 1950s.
Paratrooper Brigade soldiers wear maroon berets with the infantry pin and reddish-brown boots. Distinct from all other soldiers of the IDF, Paratroopers wear a tunic and belt over the shirt.
The IDF has three reservist paratrooper brigades (includes the 226) at any given time, consisting of personnel who served their mandatory time in the brigade, and who are mostly relatively recently discharged, aside from officers. These are most likely the most highly trained reservist brigades in the IDF.
The brigade was created in the mid-1950s when the commando Unit 101 was merged with the 890th Battalion (the IDF's Airborne Commando unit) in order to form an elite infantry brigade. The new unit was equipped with the IMI Uzi submachine gun as their primary weapon as it provided light and small automatic fire, essential properties for recon units and commandos.
The goals in creating the Paratroopers Brigade were:
The first commander of the Paratroopers Brigade was Ariel Sharon.
The Paratroopers Brigade has had only one operational combat parachute drop, during the 1956 Sinai War. In the Six Day War (1967) the brigade took part in the capture of Jerusalem, along with the Jerusalem Brigade, Harel Brigade and armored support. The Paratroopers were the ones to capture the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, considered a historic moment and the highlight of the war by the Israeli public due to the sanctity of these places to the Jewish people.
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Wikipedia