ABOUT LONE SOLDIERS
A “lone soldier” is an IDF soldier with no family support in Israel.
WHO ARE LONE SOLDIERS?
Lone soldiers may be young men and women from abroad who have chosen to leave everything behind and come to Israel on their own to enlist in the IDF, or Israeli born young people from disadvantaged backgrounds or estranged from their families, who despite a multitude of difficulties, choose meaningful IDF service.
They are very idealistic and motivated, but their army service is often very difficult because they do not have the logistical help and loving support that families usually provide.
THE DIFFICULTIES…
As soon as soldiers come home on leave for the weekend, the countdown begins to get everything organized before they have to return to their units early on Sunday morning.
When they are on leave they have nowhere to go that offers them a family environment. They must seek out places to stay, figure out a way to do their laundry, grab an inexpensive meal, or take care of personal errands. Instead of using this precious free time to catch up on some sleep and well-earned relaxation, they must fend for themselves.
The country’s small size means that soldiers are never very far from home. Whether living in the South and serving in the North or vice versa, a soldier is at worst only a few hours’ drive away from his/her family. Accordingly, service time is structured to allow soldiers to spend every third or even second weekend away from their base (as seen every Friday and Sunday morning with every bus and train terminal overflowing with khaki).
Since frequent weekends and vacations at home with one’s family are part and parcel of IDF service, military bases are not planned for lengthy stays – e.g., laundry services are poor, as are leisure and recreation opportunities. This means that soldiers who are disconnected from their families are very much at a loose end during leave weekends and vacations. The base empties as their friends rush off, and they are left to fend for themselves, either at the base or at various makeshift facilities provided by the army.
While their friends are being welcomed and fussed over at home by their families, lone soldiers are left on their own, often feeling isolated, lonely, and uncared for.