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Entity reports on four facts you should know about Israel's mandatory military service for men and women.

When you think of Israel, you probably think of sandy deserts and advanced water conservation tactics before the Israel Defense Forces. However, Israel has been a trendsetter with its military forces for decades. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of IDF? Both men and women are required to serve.

RELATED: The Art of Water Conservation in Israel 

Ready to learn what Israel could teach the U.S. about conscription, women in the military and more? Here are four facts you should know about Israel’s mandatory military service for men and women.

1 Military service acts as a “right of passage” for Israeli citizens.

In America, there are several societal rituals  – ranging from 18th and 21st birthdays to going to college – that indicate a person is growing up. Serving in the army is the Israeli equivalent to going to university, with both experiences giving men and women greater exposure to different kinds of people, locations and skills.

Entity reports on four facts you should know about Israel's mandatory military service for men and women.

Men typically serve for three years while women serve for a little under two years. Israel’s recruitment rate is shockingly high, with 80 percent of those summoned to serve enlisting. Although service is mandatory, there are exemptions for married women and women with children, people who aren’t physically or psychologically able,  religious men studying at a Jewish law institution or religious women who’d prefer to do “national service,” or community volunteering.

RELATED: 4 Countries With Mandatory Military Service for Men and Women

2 The army is considered Israel’s melting pot.

Because everyone over 18 is required to serve, the IDF blends together people of various backgrounds. For example, native Israeli serve alongside immigrants while modern Orthodox Jews serve alongside secular Israelis.

Entity reports on four facts you should know about Israel's mandatory military service for men and women.

The IDF is also unique in that its hierarchy and code of conduct are extremely informal compared to armies in other countries. Officers typically eat and sleep with their soldiers, and saluting isn’t typically required. If you enlist in America’s military, don’t expect to see the same protocol!

3 Women can serve in combat positions.

Women first served in  ground forces in 1948, which was before Israel even became a state. However, women were restricted to work as administrators and medical staff until 1995 when a woman named Alice Miller petitioned for female access to pilot training school. She won, and male and female soldiers now serve side-by-side in everything but combat duty.

RELATED: Women in Combat Boots: Marching Through a Brief History of Women in the Military

Entity reports on four facts you should know about Israel's mandatory military service for men and women.

However, combat duty is becoming more equal. In 2000, the IDF created its first coed combat battalion, the Caracal, followed by  the Lions of the Jordan Valley and the Bardelas. A fourth co-ed battalion readied for deployment in February of 2017, and, by the end of 2018, the IDF hopes to have over one thousand soldiers serving in coed combat battalions. All of these groups are mainly responsible for guarding various parts of Israel’s border.

4 The Israel Defense Forces could be the secret to Israel’s economic success.

If you studied economics in college, you probably already know that Israel’s economy has grown faster than other developed countries’ since 1995. One surprising reason? Mandatory military service.

RELATED: Women’s Rights Soar in the Israeli Air Force

National service teaches young people how to solve problem, work with different people, and build networks. These skills are all imperative to creating or working in an entrepreneurial business, according to Dan Senor and Saul Singer, authors of, “Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle.”

Entity reports on four facts you should know about Israel's mandatory military service for men and women.

Unless you’re interested in the military or have studied Israel in-depth, it’s easy to overlook this nation’s impressive army. However, as these facts show, the Israel Defense Forces are forces to be reckoned with in terms of the national pride, skill and gender equality they create.

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