October 7, 2023 | 06:29: his body took on command and responsibility; his mind has remained there ever since

A reserve captain and commander of the Technology and Maintenance section in Battalion 7155, Omer completed reserve officer training just a few months before October 7. When the sirens sounded, he realized that this was an extraordinary event and headed to his base on his own initiative, before an official call-up order had been issued.

Within hours, he worked to prepare the battalion’s vehicles and call up his personnel, then travelled south with the force. At the Yad Mordechai junction, he first encountered the scale of the disaster. Later, he reached the Kfar Aza area with the battalion, where they operated under fire and helped receive residents rescued from their homes.

His partner, three months pregnant, was waiting for him at home. While Omer acted as a commander and made decisions in an unfamiliar reality, that day’s experiences became etched in him and continue to accompany him: “I live that day all over again, every day.”

Photo: Pini Siluk