The Israel Dog Unit (IDU), which focuses on locating missing persons across the country, is being supplemented with combat methods trainer for elite IDF units Nadav Yair. Arutz Sheva spoke to him about his expected contribution to the Unit.
Yair explains that the training he has been providing unit volunteers, whom he has known for about a decade, focuses on the fields of topography, correct reading of the area, quiet progress in the field and the like.
"Sometimes a missing person is in the bushes. You need to develop hearing senses, how to move forward without losing stability," Nadav says, adding: "The dogs that do the job do it wonderfully," as opposed to the humans joining them who need to undergo proper training to adapt to terrain conditions, mountain climbs, wadi movement, long walks, and the like.
He also points out that since these are missing persons, volunteers should also be trained in situations where the missing person is reported to have been kidnapped by criminals or hostile forces, which could mean a physical confrontation that also requires mental and physical preparation, martial arts, and making use of hands or expedient weapons.
Yair has only praise for the volunteers he meets in the training workshops. He indicates their dedication and willingness to embark on search and rescue missions at any time of the day, place, or conditions, through sheer selfless devotion.