Sergeant Daniel Mazevich is the sole survivor among 12 soldiers who were in the Namer armored personnel carrier (APC) hit by an anti-tank missile during the first week of the ground offensive in Gaza. After two weeks in an induced coma and on a ventilator, he woke up. On that same day, his single request was to once again see the APC that had served as his home for the past year.
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"On the day I could finally stand again, I requested to see the vehicle – the one I'd slept in more often than my own home over the past year. The one I cared for more than myself and maintained daily as if it were my child. I looked after it so it would take care of me and protect me on the battlefield. And protect me it did," he shared.
Back in operation
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
He then found a vehicle that was nearly completely destroyed. Now, three months later, he came to see it once more before it returned to the battlefield after undergoing repairs.
The Namer was refurbished at the Rehabilitation and Maintenance Center, a facility dedicated to repairing severely damaged vehicles. Arriving in a state of complete ruin, its internal components were fused together due to the explosion and required complete replacement. Nonetheless, because the vehicle is produced domestically by the IDF, the team successfully restored it for battlefield deployment.
This particularly moved Sergeant Mazevich. "As it turns out, on my birthday, my Namer finally completed its repairs. As they promised me after my injury and when I found out they were working on restoring it, they immediately invited me to come see it, meet the people who worked on it, and take one final tour," he said.
"When we entered the war, we understood that, as with any conflict, there would be injuries and casualties, perhaps even within our own team. But this didn't deter us because our ultimate objective was to protect our home, our irreplaceable land and our families, to ensure they could return to a peaceful and fearless life. But this? We never imagined this scenario," shared Mazevich.
"We never envisioned, not even in our darkest nightmares, that we would lose 11 warriors, legends and heroes in one fell swoop, in the same vehicle, in the same instant. I can't explain why I was the one who survived; most say it was a miracle, and they're likely right. These 11 lions were my second family and home throughout this journey. Some were with me from my first day in the military and experienced so much with me. Those I met later found a way into my heart and soul, each in their unique way. I want everyone to know who they were and what they represented - each one of them was an angel."
At the Rehabilitation Center, both soldiers and civilian IDF employees, motivated by a strong sense of mission, work hand in hand. The center's team is deeply moved by the symbolic significance of their work, as many of the vehicles they repair bear witness to acts of valor by courageous soldiers and the sacrifices of fallen heroes.
Each vehicle arrives with a story from its past, and the goal of rehabilitation is to ready it for new chapters in future operations. The Technology and Maintenance Corps undertakes a comprehensive, collaborative effort to restore all vehicles to service. Impressively, 86% of damaged vehicles return to the battlefield with full operational readiness.
Moreover, during wartime, IDF budgets grow, the economy adapts and the defense budget takes precedence. The IDF's approach of repairing, instead of replacing, vehicles cuts expenses while preserving efficiency. For instance, in the case of the Namer that was struck by an anti-tank missile, costly components that needed only minor repairs were fixed, consequently cutting the vehicle's repair costs by approximately 90%.
"I want to thank all those who worked on my Namer day and night, during unconventional hours and days, and for the privilege of being the one to return it to the unit. May it only traverse good paths, amen. I couldn't have asked for a better gift than this," Mazevich concluded.