Upfall

All the commandos carried the same basic gear: standard IDF olive drab uniforms, personal radio headsets, helmets, and a unified ceramic vest. The vest doubled as a bullet proof flak vest and a load bearing equipment set. The standard set-up allowed for rifle magazines, additional pouches for grenades, canteens, compasses, GPS units, personal radios, canteens, night vision goggles and medical emergency medical kits. Properly outfitted, a fully loaded commando looked like a man in a fat suit.

Individual commandos customized their set-up according to their jobs. Ilan, the sniper, carried his magazines in specialized pouches for his 7.62mm SR-25 rifle. Likewise, Roi, the Negev gunner, only had a pistol to hand, although otherwise, his body was virtually covered in customized pouches and sacks held 600 rounds of ready 5.56 bullets for the machine gun.

The Tavors were equipped with the ITL MARS battery operated reflex sight and removable flash] sound suppressors. The sights allowed the commandos to shoot accurately and instinctively and with both eyes open. It gave them excellent situational awareness even while shooting a specific target. In addition, all team leaders carried handheld MARS hand-held thermal imagers, which were capable of sighting and designating distant targets in the dark or through fog or smoke.

Bolander carried a more powerful TA31 daylight scope and a NOGA NL61/3 night vision scope for his Tavor STAR, along with his own thermal imager. He also humped extra ammo for Roi.

All the men carried 9mm Sig 228 automatic pistols as a backup weapon. The budget conscious IDF didn't automatically issue pistols, even in the best units. But Yatom's sarayet did not want for money, and the men liked the compact black handguns.

During the loading drill Yatom noticed that several extra military style containers had been stowed under benches in addition to the extra squad weapons and equipment on his list.

He made a mental note to ask Feldhandler about that. Then instead of repeating the drill, he ordered the men to eat and drink, and then use the latrine.

When they were done, still, harnessed into all their gear, Yatom sat the sayeret down a dozen meters from the capsule and discussed the various possible scenarios that they could encounter, likely in Lebanon, if and when the government gave the authorization to launch.

At about 6 a.m. Feldhandler finally appeared with several of his ubiquitous assistants including Perchansky and Mina. Oddly, neither Feldhandler nor Perchansky wore their usual white smocks, but instead they were dressed simple army fatigues and light dessert style combat boots.

Yatom, Mofaz and Shapira walked over to the scientists. "What's with the outfits" asked Yatom.

Feldhandler just stared, preoccupied as usual.

"If you won't answer that question, then explain the extra cases in the capsule."

"We're going to make the drill a bit more useful" said Mina. " Drs. Feldhandler and Perchansky, will load with you to simulate two additional troops. The extra crates are just there to test estimates of expanded load parameters."

"Why?" said Yatom, still looking at Feldhandler. "Is Brom suddenly expecting something?"

Feldhandler met Yatom's eyes and walked over to the bigger man, and lightly took the commando's left arm, pushing him gently away from Mofaz and Shapira.

"Have you talked to Brom?" asked Feldhandler in a whisper.

"Of course" replied Yatom with a curious look. "He told me the bad news. It wasn't exactly unexpected. How many times did we call off the Iran operation?"

"Ten, if I recall" said the scientist.

"So?"

"So, the point is we should keep preparing" said Feldhandler with an air of disappointment. "The more men you can take, the better your chance of success. If we better the odds, it's more likely they will give us a go-ahead."

"Fine, but that's not going to make a difference between today and tomorrow—when you have to shut down" said Yatom bitterly.

"Twelve or fourteen men; who cares? We'll be back at our old units by next week probably." He paused and looked at Feldhandler who seemed to be examining his own feet. Mofaz seemed tired and bored, Shapira lost his own thoughts. Feldhandler continued to stare down and said nothing, so Yatom went on.

"Okay humor yourself—you and Perchansky want to ride on the capsule while you have a chance is that it? Well we've got nothing else to do, until they disband the sarayet, eh Mofaz?"

The Major looked over with a dull stare. Yatom couldn't tell whether he'd overheard the conversation or not. Yatom noted that Shapira and Bolander both seemed to be eyeing Perchansky — what did the Americans see in her, he wondered? Several of his men were nodding off. It was silly, he thought, a final drill for no purpose - everyone either knew it or sensed it. But the drill was scheduled and the risks minimal, so why argue with the professor if he wanted to play around. Perhaps he just wanted to flip it on one last time.

"Well then" said Feldhandler quietly "let's load the device."