The Commando Brigade's 5515th Transport Unit was shrouded in mystery until their part in the heroic operation that saved Louis Har and Fernando Marman from their captivity in Gaza. The operational drivers have sparked great curiosity about their part in the operation, which was to covertly escort the force to its destination and then swiftly withdraw to the helicopter. Now a few have agreed to talk about their service.
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The 5515th Transport Unit of the Commando Brigade, an elite unit of selected drivers, is capable of transporting soldiers to any location, in all terrain and weather conditions. They have been doing this for over 35 years, but only in the current war in Gaza have they received public attention. Even before that, the operational drivers participated in many operations with the special units in the West Bank and received awards for their conduct and bravery.
"We chose to stay out of the headlines," says Lieutenant Colonel M., the unit's commander. "Every year we carry out hundreds of operations, whether in Israeli territory or more distant places, and no one hears about them. After the publicity, I saw what it does to the people in the unit, especially to the reservists, some of whom have been participating in the most magnificent operations for 25 or 30 years.
"They take part in active reserve duty between 80 to 120 days a year, and only now they receive some recognition. It is especially important for their families who have been living in anxiety for almost five months alone at home. The families don't see their loved ones, and suddenly they realize what a significant role they have," he added.
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The unit's arrival times reduced evacuation time and saved countless lives
(Photo: Ziv Koren)
No flat tires
Mobilizing a force of operational drivers includes planning, choosing a route, selecting the appropriate vehicles for the mission, navigation and, of course, the driving itself, which is almost always done under fire in difficult terrain conditions. Operations are naturally also carried out at night, with the assistance of night vision devices. The responsibility of the driver is immense. Any small mistake, even a flat tire, can lead to the mission failing in the best-case scenario, or to casualties in the worst case.
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This operational unit is responsible for the safe evacuation of the forces from enemy territory
(Photo: Ziv Koren)
"The tasks required of the unit are in remote places where no one can help you," says Lieutenant Colonel M. "The driver needs to know how to operate the vehicle perfectly and to know how to fix any problem or arrange a rescue. He is the one who needs to provide the solution on the ground, not be the problem."
Accordingly, the drivers' training course, conducted in the unit's training battalion, is one of the most professional courses in the army. It includes a complex curriculum of mostly combat subjects. Its duration is more than six months, not including the combat course in one of the commando units, from which all the operational drivers come.
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Their trust is absolute to the extent there are mere meters between vehicles
(Photo: Ziv Koren)
The drivers are skilled in driving in all possible terrains, day and night, in convoys, and in narrow spaces sometimes adjacent to other vehicles. This requires intimate familiarity among the drivers and absolute trust. Unit 5515's operational unit is involved in over 200 operations each year. On October 7, the team of Major L., the operational company commander, was already in Sderot at 7:30 a.m. and was among the first to arrive in the area with armored vehicles.
His swift action allowed them to start the defensive operation early, together with Israel Police and Shin Bet, and then to evacuate many civilians from settlements in the Gaza border towns. On that same Saturday, his close friend, Major Or Yosef Ran (Orush), was killed in a clash with terrorists in Kfar Aza. Orush, came from the operational transport unit, was chosen to establish the same unit in Duvdevan and was supposed to replace Major L. in the summer as the operational company commander.
"Orush symbolizes the unit more than anything," said Major L.. "It comes from the man he is, the friend he is, and how professional he is. How he operates the vehicle, how he knows to fix anything, his constant desire to help everyone, his creativity, he always thinks outside the box. His loss is very hard for me. I still can't process it, because I've been busy since that Saturday with work.
"There is still fighting going on, there are still people who haven't returned home. I mainly try to think about what Orush would do in all sorts of operational dilemmas. He helps me think correctly from above," he added.
More than four months after that Saturday, Major L. was the one to lead the famous operation in Rafah to release the hostages. "It was a completely different operation from what we are used to," he said. "It was impossible to fail. You have to delve into the smallest details, think about everything that might go wrong, and think outside the box. In addition, there is coordination between all the forces you have to do."
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Fernando Marman and Louis Har on the helicopter on the way to Israel
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
He added that "it is also necessary to remember that we are on edge, but we have the most professional staff working around the clock to enable operations. For example, the maintenance personnel who take care of the vehicles after each operation and fix any minor problem, or the development department that ensures the production and development of unique accessories that allow work in relative comfort. That is the power of the unit: not the means, not the vehicles, and not the weapons - it is the people."
How does one feel at the end of such an operation?
"The feeling of satisfaction is different from any other operation I have participated in. You see them getting into the vehicles, and you understand that we succeeded; although it's only two, there are many more there, and still at this peak moment, knowing that you were part of such an operation, it's a feeling that didn't exist in other operations I participated in. But a moment after that, I already attended a planning meeting for the next operation. The war never stops."
Working against the clock
Towards the beginning of the ground maneuver, the unit transitioned to an operational formation and brought significant innovations to the battlefield. The first is cooperation with the Search and Rescue Unit as part of the lessons learned from Operation Protective Edge, which integrates the medical treatment capabilities for the wounded with the drivers' ability for a rapid arrival at the scene. They were one of the significant factors dramatically reducing the average arrival time at the hospital, which saved lives.
The second ground-breaking change is the ability for rapid transportation of large forces far into the battlefield using adapted vehicles created in the unit's development department. This allows for an immediate change in the balance of power. Perhaps the greatest testament to the unique nature of the unit is that seconds after we finished the interview with its people, they geared up, started the engines, and returned to the shadows for another night-time operation.