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Special Operations Engineering Unit | |
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Yahalom | |
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Combat Engineering Unit for Special Operations - Yahalom
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Active | 1995 - present |
Country | ![]() |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Sayeret |
Size | Classified |
Part of | Israeli Combat Engineering Corps |
Garrison/HQ | Camp Emmanuel |
Colors | Silver |
Yahalom (Hebrew: יהל"ם, meaning Diamond; also a backronym of יחידה הנדסית למשימות מיוחדות, Special Operations Engineering Unit)[1][2] is a sayeret (special operations forces) unit of the Israeli Combat Engineering Corps of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Yahalom specializes in special engineering missions that include:
Yahalom is a classified unit and almost none of its special activities are exposed to the public. Public accounts of its activities usually just credit a "combat engineering force"; a term that can equally describe regular Engineering sappers, IDF Caterpillar D9 operators and infantry engineering companies. Jane's Defence Weekly has claimed that Yahalom are working closely with Sayeret Matkal and Shayetet 13, by providing them with demolition, explosive and sabotage skills.[citation needed] Most of the equipment that Yahalom has developed for its missions is classified. Yahalom maintains secrecy to make it more difficult for enemies to develop countermeasures.
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In order to be accepted into the unit one must either go through pre enlistment tryouts("gibush") to shayetet 13, sayeret matkal, naval officers course, submarines or airforce, finish those tryouts and interviewing to the unit, or either enlist with the Israeli Engineering Corps and go through a "Gibbush" (a grueling five-day test of physical and mental condition in intensive field trials). The best graduates of Gibbush are invited to join the unit and received advance training, which takes another year. Because the training takes a total of 1.4 years, the volunteers must agree to serve an extra year (in addition to the mandatory three year service in the IDF). The training includes training in engineering, explosive ordnance disposal, advanced combat and counter-terrorism.