Someone in the Israel Defense Forces is taking Napoleon at his word: If the army indeed marches on its stomach, Israel’s tireless defenders are about to march a whole lot better.
According to the Israeli press, the IDF is currently completing a significant overhaul of several of its longest-standing operating procedures governing everything from how soldiers should dress to what they eat, and revolutions are everywhere afoot. Instead of the traditional olive-colored uniform, for example, the IDF may soon be clad in light-toned camouflage, with each soldier wearing a name tag. Also, putting an end to the time-honored practice of folding the hem of one’s pants around a rubber band to ensure orderly appearance, the IDF’s new combat pants will have the rubber bands built in. But the pants are a small break with tradition: Soon, according to the reports, Israeli soldiers will no longer have to tuck their uniform shirts in, as is the standard in most armies around the world, and will wear it untucked instead.
It’s just as well, since, the reports indicate, culinary offerings in the IDF are about to get much more scrumptious: In recent months, the Golani brigade participated in an experiment, soon to be widely implemented, in which food trucks arrived at its training grounds and offered soldiers hot lunches that included stir-fry, hamburgers, soups, and pastas. In other news, the army has recently signed a major contract with a large and unspecified pizza delivery chain, rewarding soldiers with late-night freshly baked pizza pies, including, according to one army source, options for vegan soldiers who do not eat cheese.
Finally, the army is currently revamping its dining halls, painting them in pleasant pastel colors and introducing new and nicely designed plates, silverware, and serving pieces to make mealtime more lovely for the fighting men and women. Godspeed and bon appetit to all.