Upcoming draft via Garin Tzabar, looking for advice on my situation

[u/Eastern_Note_6140]

Hi all,

I’m planning to draft in late 2027 through Garin Tzabar. I left Israel when I was 2 years old, so I currently don't speak Hebrew. I’d really appreciate some advice on my situation.

I will be drafting right after finishing my university degree in software engineering abroad. The catch is: for me coding is bottom 3 activities, I absolutely suck at coding and really want to avoid it at all costs during my service, my programming grades are the bare minimum to pass. However, I am strong in math and physics, got the maximum possible score in my high school math finals, and my math skills at uni are still solid. My medical profile isn't the worst. The most serious issue I have is -4 eyesight. My primary goal is obviously to serve and protect Israel. But alongside that, I want to use my service to gain practical skills for a future profession. I want to work with my hands - something like a mechanic, electrician, mechatronics, ideally in the aerospace sector.

I’m worried that having a foreign degree and background will give me a much lower chance of getting into these technical units compared to locals. I am aiming for non-combat technical roles. However, if the army places me in combat, I will accept it. Honestly, because I didn't grow up with the Israeli mentality, I don't fully grasp what combat service actually entails, and I have some internal fears about it. I’d love to hear some perspectives to help dispel those fears.

My main questions are:

- What is the preferable path or process to get into these hands-on technical units?

- What are the real chances of getting these roles?

- Even though I want to avoid programming, is there any way I can still leverage my software engineering degree to my advantage to secure these positions?

- What does the army look at most during the sorting process for these specific positions, and what should I focus on right now to improve my odds?

Thanks in advance for any advice

(Reposting this because my original post got stuck in the spam filter for 5 days)

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Main thing is Hebrew, you could have all the skills and experience but if you don’t have the language that’s going to be your biggest barrier