Israeli Army IDF has created a new Search and Rescue Brigade by uniting four battalions 0708132

The new Search and Rescue brigade will bring four existing battalions together to streamline and strengthen the Home Front Command's search and rescue capabilities.

Commanding officer of the Home Front Command, Major General Eyal Eizenberg, and the new brigade's commander, Colonel Yoram Laredo, participated in the ceremony conducted at the IDF Search & Rescue School. Col. Laredo previously served as the commander of the Home Front's Central District.

Maj. Gen. Eyal Eizenberg addressed the ceremony with the following words: "The threats and challenges facing the Home Front Command are growing. Our homes are becoming a war front."

The IDF Home Front Command was established following the 1991 Gulf War when Israeli citizens came under attack from Scud missiles fired by Saddam Hussein's forces in Iraq.

Since then the, the Command has expanded to include 6 fully functional districts. In addition, the National Search and Rescue Unit, the School for Search and Rescue, and a full complement of regular and reserve forces come under the Home Front Command.

In addition to keeping Israeli civilians safe when under attack, the Home Front Command has sent search and rescue forces to disaster zones around the world to help save lives. To date, IDF forces have provided medical and humanitarian aid to more than 2000 people in 14 countries around the world.