Skip to main content
SecurityIranian media report two missiles hit Qeshm Island in southern I…Hanukkahin 28 days · December 5, 2026Hebrew date27 Cheshvan 5787USD/ILS₪3.199Kinneret-213.72 m

Border Defense Infantryחי״ר גבולות

How to get into the Border Defense Infantry, and what its training looks like

Mixed battalions of men and women that guard Israel's borders: Bardelas, Caracal, the Lions of the Jordan, Lavi HaBika and Panther.

Profile 72+about 6.5 monthsMen and womenYellow camouflage

Border Defense Infantry

The Border Defense Infantry asks for a medical profile of 72 and up.

Medical profile72+
214564728297

The medical profile runs from 21 to 97.

Open to
Men and women
Medical profile
72 and up
Body mass index
17 to 35
Training
about 6.5 months
Where it serves
The borders with Egypt and Jordan and the Jordan Valley.
Commitment
Women commit to equal service and active reserves.

Bardelas and Caracal belong to the Paran brigade, the Lions of the Jordan and Lavi HaBika to the Bika brigade, and Panther to Ephraim. Fighters patrol, lie in ambush, give chase, keep watch, guard communities and stop serious crime on the border.

Training is about 4 months of basic training to Rifleman 05 at the border defense school, at the Sayarim base, and 2 and a half months of advanced training to Rifleman 06. Tracks lead on to command, to officers and to tank crews on the borders.

The way into the Border Defense Infantry runs through 2 steps.

  1. 1A first call-up with profile 72 or higher.
  2. 2For women: the women fighters' screening and a commitment to equal service and active reserves.

Training at the Border Defense Infantry lasts about 6.5 months.

4mo.
2.5mo.
  1. Basic training to Rifleman 05, at the border defense school
  2. Advanced training to Rifleman 06

The IDF's guides say what to train for before the screening.

A combat corps such as armour or artillery asks for profile 72 and a body mass index between 17 and 35. Steady running and the IDF's strength routine two or three times a week are the base.

  1. AerobicSun
  2. StrengthMon
  3. AerobicTue
  4. StrengthWed
  5. AerobicThu
  6. RestFri
  7. RestSat

An example week at the lowest the IDF's guide suggests: 3 aerobic sessions and 2 of strength, the kind changing from day to day.

The full guide to preparing: profile, Dapar, Yom Sayarot and a training routine

The role has its own page on the IDF's site for future soldiers.

  • Border infantry (Caracal, Bardelas, Lions of the Jordan)Ground Forces

Units to read about alongside the Border Defense Infantry.

Every unit

Frequently asked questions

What does the Border Defense Infantry ask for?

The IDF's page asks for a profile of 72 and up and a body mass index between 17 and 35.

How do you get into the Border Defense Infantry?

A first call-up with profile 72 or higher. For women: the women fighters' screening and a commitment to equal service and active reserves.

How long is training at the Border Defense Infantry?

About 6.5 months: Basic training to Rifleman 05, at the border defense school; Advanced training to Rifleman 06.

Can women serve in the Border Defense Infantry?

Yes. The IDF's page opens the role to men and women.

This page was written from the IDF's pages for future soldiers, read on 6 November 2026.

  • The IDF's page for the role: Border infantry (Caracal, Bardelas, Lions of the Jordan)
  • Preparing the body for Yom Sayarot
  • Try-outs
  • The medical profile

The requirements and screenings change from time to time, and the IDF's page for each role is the one that counts.

Photo credits

Keep exploring

Aliyah Guide
The whole move, step by step.
Flag of Israel
The flag to download, its measurements, its colours and its history.
Schools in Israel
Every school's number, its stream and stage, and the Meitzav scores and climate surveys published for it.
Essential Hebrew Phrases
The words you need in your first week.