The newly trained soldiers of the IDF's top search and rescue unit – the Israel Air Force's Extrication and Evacuation Unit, known as Unit 669 – received their unit wing pins Sunday. In his address to the newly inducted warriors, the highly revered unit's commander, Lt.-Col. Avinoam, hinted that they would soon find themselves far from Israel's borders.
"The State of Israel is facing a multitude of challenges, and we will be required to operate in places where we have not had to operate in the past," he said. "Your opening conditions will always be tough, but you must remember – in our mission we must not fail, because there is no second chance."
While the remarks were purposely cryptic, they could be taken as referring to possible missions in Syria or Iran.
The ceremony marking the end of a grueling 74-week training course took place at the Shilat Cliffs near Modiin.
IAF Commander Major General Ido Nechushtan told the soldiers: "The wings are the finish line of a long track in which you have learned a variety of skills. You have joined us in a very meaningful time for the State pf Israel – one in which Hamas grows stronger and Iran goes nuclear; one in which the Air Force must be prepared for a variety of complex scenarios."
In an interview with the IDF Website, Nechushtan praised 669’s abilities. "The unit is called up to unique missions hundreds of times a year, and the mission is always in difficult circumstances. And yet, I trust them very much. They save people from dangerous situations hundreds of times a year."