Bahad 16
Encyclopedia
Bahad 16 is a training base (Bahad
) belonging to the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF). Located in the Tzrifin
container base, it is the training base and a base of operations for the IDF Home Front Command Search and Rescue
(SAR) unit. Because it is the only SAR training base, Bahad 16 is synonymous with the SAR unit itself.
This unit should not be confused with the IAF's Tactical SAR Unit 669
.
, which, as the most threatening war to Israel's homeland since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
, led to a perceived need for more security beyond the border.
rockets or with IED
's).
During Operation Defensive Shield
in 2002, 4 man teams from the unit were attached to infantry units in Jenin
and Ramallah
. There teams facilitated troop movement by breaking openings in walls between houses.
, Turkey
, Haiti
, and Buenos Aires
.
Bahad
Bahad is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, each Bahad belongs to a certain corps and conducts all courses required by the corps in question...
) belonging to the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF). Located in the Tzrifin
Tzrifin
Tzrifin is an area in Gush Dan in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities....
container base, it is the training base and a base of operations for the IDF Home Front Command Search and Rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(SAR) unit. Because it is the only SAR training base, Bahad 16 is synonymous with the SAR unit itself.
This unit should not be confused with the IAF's Tactical SAR Unit 669
Unit 669
669 is the Israel Defense Forces heliborne medevac extraction unit, subordinate to the Special Air Forces Command of the Israeli Air Force. It is considered one of the IDF's premier elite units.-History:...
.
History
IDF Home Front Command Search and Rescue unit was a re-organization of HaGaHa, the Israeli civil defense force. It was created in February 1992 following the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, which, as the most threatening war to Israel's homeland since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, led to a perceived need for more security beyond the border.
Purpose
The SAR unit serves as a ready unit for natural disasters (such as earthquakes and floods), for civil disasters (such as the Versailles wedding hall disaster), and for response to deliberate military or para-military attacks (such as with Katyusha, Grad or ScudScud
Scud is a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and exported widely to other countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies...
rockets or with IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
's).
During Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield
Operation Defensive Shield was a large-scale military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces in 2002, during the course of the Second Intifada. It was the largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. The operation was an attempt by the Israeli army to stop the...
in 2002, 4 man teams from the unit were attached to infantry units in Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
and Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
. There teams facilitated troop movement by breaking openings in walls between houses.
Operations
Since its formation, the unit has operated both in Israel and abroad, including in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
- Port Au Prince, Haiti2010 Haiti earthquakeThe 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
(2010)
- Following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake two teams were sent from the unit as part of a large Israeli delegation.
- Beit Yehoshua, Israel (2006)
- Train Wreck
- Tel Aviv, Israel (2006)
- Collapsed building due to a gas explosion
- Nairobi, Kenya (2006)
- Following the collapse of a five-story building in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 23, 2006, Bahad 16 & Yachtza forces arrived 23 hours after the disaster. At that stage, two people were still buried under the building and special techniques (tunnelingTunnelingTunneling may refer to:* Digging tunnels * Quantum tunneling, the quantum-mechanical effect where a particle crosses through a classically-forbidden potential energy barrier...
and scalpingScalpingScalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
) were required to secure their evacuation. The two people were evacuated and both recovered after a short stay in hospital.- Jaffa, Israel (2005)
- A crane collapsed on a building
- Revidim, Israel (2005)
- Train Wreck
- Jerusalem, Israel (2001)
- Following the collapse of the Versailles wedding hall, Bahad 16 & Yachtza forces arrived within an hour of the disaster. During the rescue operation 23 bodies were excavated and 3 people were removed alive.
- Gölcük, Turkey (1999)
- After the İzmit earthquake, Israeli forces were sent to assist with rescue efforts at the Gölcük Naval base.