Duvdevanדובדבן
How to get into Duvdevan, and what its training looks like
The Commando Brigade's counter-terror unit, working mostly in Judea and Samaria, in the open and undercover.
Profile 82+about 16 monthsMenRed
Duvdevan asks for a medical profile of 82 and up.
The medical profile runs from 21 to 97.
- Open to
- Men
- Medical profile
- 82 and up
- Body mass index
- 18 to 32
- Training
- about 16 months
- Where it serves
- Judea and Samaria above all.
- Commitment
- Career service of 1 to 7 years, as the unit needs.
Its fighters make arrests, track down wanted men and seize weapons, some of the time disguised among the local population (the mista'arvim). The IDF gives the fighter's path as 16 months.
Candidates come through the paratroopers' try-out, the reconnaissance model or interview week, and then pass a further week-long try-out of the unit.
The way into Duvdevan runs through 3 steps.
- 1The paratroopers' try-out, the reconnaissance model or interview week.
- 2A one-week try-out of the unit.
- 3The draft.
Training at Duvdevan lasts about 16 months.
- Basic training
- Advanced training
- Specialist training, counter-terror and more
- A squad commanders' course (the IDF gives no length for this stage)
The IDF gives 16 months for the whole path.
The IDF's guides say what to train for before the screening.
The IDF's guide to Yom Sayarot says to start training at least three months before it, with 3 to 5 aerobic sessions and 2 to 3 strength sessions a week, and to keep hard training out of the week before it.
- AerobicSun
- StrengthMon
- AerobicTue
- StrengthWed
- AerobicThu
- RestFri
- 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.
- Duvdevan combat soldierInfantry
Units to read about alongside Duvdevan.
EgozאגוזOne of the three units of the Commando Brigade, built for small-unit warfare in every sector and in the north above all.Profile 82+about 16 monthsMenRed
MaglanמגלןA Commando Brigade unit that operates behind enemy lines with special means.Profile 82+about 22 monthsMenRed
Border Policeמשמר הגבולThe combat arm of the Israel Police, where soldiers do their compulsory service in Judea and Samaria, in Jerusalem and against crime.Profile 82+about 3.7 monthsMen and womenDark green
Frequently asked questions
What does Duvdevan ask for?
The IDF's page asks for a profile of 82 and up and a body mass index between 18 and 32.
How do you get into Duvdevan?
The paratroopers' try-out, the reconnaissance model or interview week. A one-week try-out of the unit. The draft.
How long is training at Duvdevan?
About 16 months: Basic training; Advanced training; Specialist training, counter-terror and more; A squad commanders' course.
Can women serve in Duvdevan?
The IDF's page names men only. Women fighters can choose other units, and the IDF commits to give a woman fighter one of her first three choices.
This page was written from the IDF's pages for future soldiers, read on 6 November 2026.
- The IDF's page for the role: Duvdevan combat soldier
- The IDF's full guide to Yom Sayarot
- 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
- IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Israel Defense Forces, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Israel Police, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons