GOC Army Headquarters
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The Israeli GOC Army headquarters (Hebrew: זרוע היבשה, Zro'a HaYabasha, "Ground Arm"), known unofficially as Mazi, is a multi-corps command headquarters created in 1998, which amalgamates the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces. The current size of the Israeli Ground Forces is estimated at a rough 125,000 active soldiers and 600,000 soldiers in reserve.
Name
The GOC Army Headquarters is known unofficially as Mazi, the Hebrew pronunciation for an acronym for "Ground Arm Command" (מז"י, מפקדת זרוע היבשה, Mifkedet Zro'a HaYabasha), which was the GOC Army Headquarters' previous name before being renamed to the current "Ground Arm" (זרוע היבשה). After this renaming, the acronym Mazi officially refers to Commander of the Ground Arm (מפקד זרוע היבשה, Mefaked Zro'a HaYabasha). However, the old acronym Mazi still remains the popular name for the GOC Army Headquarters.
Units and structure
Mazi includes the five ground-warfare corps of specific military functions:
- The maneuvering corps:
- Infantry Corps (חיל הרגלים)
- Armor Corps (חיל השריון)
- The сombat support corps:
- Artillery Corps (חיל התותחנים)
- Combat Engineering Corps (חיל ההנדסה הקרבית)
- Field Intelligence Corps (חיל האיסוף הקרבי)
In addition, Mazi includes four "staff divisions":
- Planning Division (Budget and Organization Planning) (חטיבת התכנון)
- "Ground" Division (Training and Doctrine) (חטיבת יבשה)
- Personnel Division (חטיבת כוח-אדם)
- Technological Division (Materiel R&D and Acquisition) (חטיבת הטכנולוגיה)
The IDF's third arm
Under the IDF 2000 reforms, Mazi was set to become the IDF's third Arm, alongside the Air and Space Arm and the Sea Arm. Until the creation of Mazi, IDF ground forces were directly subordinate to the Chief of Staff through the Regional Commands (North, South and Central). The meaning of the reform was to subordinate the ground forces to one ground commander, who is a part of the Joint Staff, by the example of the Israeli Air Force and Navy; and unlike the United States Armed Forces, where operational Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps units and other support units are subordinated to Unified Combatant Commands.
The proposed reform for the Ground Arm was rejected, and the ground forces remain subordinate to the 3 regional commands. Likewise with combat support and rear-line corps, which in part remain subordinate to respective Directorates. In times of battle, the Ground Arm Commander acts as an advisor to the IDF Chief of Staff on ground warfare.
As an IDF arm, the Ground Arm is meant to build of the ground forces' strength and working toward balance, combination, and coordination between the ground corps. It does so by instruction and training of individuals and units, writing and publishing the relevant doctrine, organizing the forces with respect for their missions and R&D and acquisition of materiel. Its authority ranges up to the corps level. Above it, meaning the regional commands themselves, the authority is of the Joint Staff.
Hierarchy
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Heads of Mafchash and Mazi
- Dan Shomron (1983–1985)
- Amir Drori (1985–1986)
- Uri Sagi (1986–1991)
- Emanuel Sakel (1991–1994)
- Ze'ev Livne (1994–1996)
- Amos Malka (1996–1998)
- Moshe Soknik (1998–2001)
- Yiftah Ron-Tal (2001–2005)
- Benjamin Gantz (2005 – December 20, 2007)
- Avi Mizrahi (December 20, 2007 – 2009)
- Sami Turgeman (2009–2013)[1]
- Guy Tzur (since 2013)