Maglanמגלן
How to get into Maglan, and what its training looks like
A Commando Brigade unit that operates behind enemy lines with special means.
Profile 82+about 22 monthsMenRed
Maglan 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 22 months
Training starts with 4 months of basic training to Rifleman 05 and goes on for about a year and a half in the unit itself, to the level the IDF calls Rifleman 07.
Candidates reach the unit through the reconnaissance model before the draft, or through a try-out after paratroopers' basic training.
The way into Maglan runs through 3 steps.
- 1Yom Sayarot and the Commando Brigade try-out.
- 2Or a try-out after paratroopers' basic training.
- 3The draft, in July, November or March.
Training at Maglan lasts about 22 months.
- Basic training to Rifleman 05
- Training in the unit, to Rifleman 07
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.
- Maglan combat soldierInfantry
Units to read about alongside Maglan.
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
DuvdevanדובדבןThe Commando Brigade's counter-terror unit, working mostly in Judea and Samaria, in the open and undercover.Profile 82+about 16 monthsMenRed
Paratroopers Brigadeחטיבת הצנחניםThe IDF's airborne infantry brigade, with battalions 101, 202 and 890 and the paratroopers' reconnaissance unit.Profile 82+about 12 monthsMenRed
Frequently asked questions
What does Maglan 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 Maglan?
Yom Sayarot and the Commando Brigade try-out. Or a try-out after paratroopers' basic training. The draft, in July, November or March.
How long is training at Maglan?
About 22 months: Basic training to Rifleman 05; Training in the unit, to Rifleman 07.
Can women serve in Maglan?
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: Maglan 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 Defense Forces, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons