Lt. Col. Aviv Ohana, commander of the Border Defense Infantry training base, spoke with Israel National News - Arutz Sheva about the challenges facing the corps as a new draft cohort joined its ranks this week.
Ohana explained that the Border Defense Corps brings together a range of units, including the Caracal, Bardelas, Lions of the Jordan Valley and Lavi battalions, alongside the combat intelligence battalions. These forces operate across Judea and Samaria, the eastern frontier and the southern border, with a clear mission: to remain prepared for a large-scale assault similar to the October 7 attack.
As the commander of the training base, Ohana’s role is to prepare male and female fighters over a six-month course before they deploy to operational battalions under regional brigade commanders. He emphasized the corps’ significant firepower, mobility and ability to face the enemy with a strong and well-equipped order of battle.
Reflecting on lessons from October 7, Ohana noted that every unit must examine its readiness for extreme scenarios. “We at the Border Defense School reviewed how to improve training, especially mental resilience and preparedness for direct encounters with the enemy. We cannot train as if it’s October 6.”
One major change in the program is the addition of a full “war week,” simulating mass raids similar to those seen in the Gaza envelope. Trainees conduct day and night exercises, dry and live-fire drills, rapid mobilizations and intensive physical challenges. “We took the enemy’s scenarios and built parallel exercises around them,” he said.
Ohana also addressed the decision to separate the Border Defense and Combat Intelligence frameworks, once a combined force. While acknowledging pros and cons, he said the current structure allows each training base to professionalize and better prepare its cadets. Joint exercises are still conducted before deployment to ensure coordination between the units.
Regarding differences between service in Judea and Samaria - focused on checkpoints and civilian friction - and the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, where smuggling is the primary threat, Ohana said the core training remains similar. “We prepare them for war in any sector. Adjustments are made during the pre-deployment training week, but the fundamentals-urban and open-terrain combat, night navigation, covert movement-are the same.”
Ohana concluded by noting the prominent role Border Defense battalions have played since the outbreak of the war. Caracal and Bardelas fought inside Gaza, while the Panther Battalion in Judea and Samaria carried out extensive arrests and strikes against Hamas infrastructure.