A company commander at the rank of Major in the 82nd Battalion of the IDF Armored Corps was imprisoned, and his deputy and an additional soldier were confined to their base after they broke into a military base and intended to steal equipment from old tanks that were set to be scrapped, in order to replace missing equipment, Israel Hayom reported.
The serious incident occurred over the weekend. While guarding the camp, a commander noticed three individuals in uniform standing near the tanks that were set to be scrapped.
When the three understood that they were caught red-handed, they immediately fled without taking a thing. The commander reported the incident, and police and trackers were called to locate the infiltrators.
The area where the incident took place is frequented by Bedouin who frequently steal military equipment from firing ranges and bases, and it was assumed that this incident was the same. Only later did it become clear that the thieves were two officers and a soldier, one of whom was a company commander in the 82nd Battalion in the 7th Brigade of the Armored Corps, who wanted to replace missing equipment.
It appears there is an age-old 'tradition' for soldiers in the tank corps to steal equipment from old tanks so as not to be fined for lost equipment. According to military sources, the two officers and the soldier did not understand that they had infiltrated another base in which they were not supposed to be. The source also stated that the commander who reported the incident "executed her mission in a commendable manner."
In light of the incident, the infiltrators were tried by 7th Brigade Commander Col. Yiftah Narkin. The brigade commander sent the commander to seven days imprisonment, confined the deputy commander to his base for 28 days, and the soldier for 21 days.
Sources involved in the incident stated that it was especially serious since not only did the company commander approve the attempted theft, but he also participated in the act with his deputy.
The IDF Spokesperson stated: "During the weekend, while protecting a camp in southern Israel, a commander identified three individuals in uniform standing near tanks that were not in use. The individuals fled after they saw the commander, and after that, the incident was reported. A force of trackers and police was sent to investigate. The investigation found that they serve in the IDF. This is a serious incident that will be investigated. Two officers (ranked major and lieutenant) and a soldier were tried and punished."