YAMAM team members in Oakland. If you are a terrorist, you definitely do not want to meet these guys.
During the Second Intifada, the Israel Police counter-terrorism unit (YAMAM) saved countless Israeli lives, driving and flying from one end of the country to the other to intercept tens of suicide bombers and other terrorists as they tried to enter Israeli population centers from the territories. Sometimes they were arrested, sometimes they tried to shoot it out and sometimes they just blew themselves up. But most of the time, the terrorists did not carry out their missions (unfortunately, some of the arrested ones were released in the recent ‘prisoner exchange’).
Now, for the second year in a row, the YAMAM took first place in the international Urban Shield competition for SWAT teams right here (well, almost right here) in Oakland, California:
During the internationally acclaimed competition [organized by the US Dept. of Homeland Security], combat teams were tested in a variety of anti-terrorist, extreme crime, hostage rescue, and tactical combat scenarios. An FBI team and a team of royal Jordanian guards were also among the participants.
The national emergency drill was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, with the aim of testing the preparedness of emergency services and anti-terrorist units should another terrorist attack occur.
Although this marked the competition’s sixth consecutive year, Israel only began participating two years ago. It has now taken first place in both attempts.
Israel’s Counterterrorism Unit is an elite unit in the Border Police, comparable to such global crime-fighting groups as U.S. SWAT teams, the French GIGN, and the German GSG-9, which was established after 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were murdered at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich.
The Counterterrorism Unit is tasked with handling a number of security and civilian-related situations, and its members are trained in various types of drills and simulations — some secret — mainly focusing on terrorist attacks and hostage crisis situations.
The Counterterrorism Unit is one of Israel’s most in-demand security units. Its members take on complex and dangerous missions, sometimes working in tandem with the Internal Security Agency. They arrest crime bosses and take on missions in some of the nation’s most high-risk areas. The unit employs advanced hi-tech equipment and unique methods of operation, some of which were developed especially for the unit.
In September, the same Israeli team won first place in a handgun shooting competition for special IDF and police units. Other participants in that competition were the National Police Undercover Unit, the Border Police Undercover Unit, and several elite IDF units. — Israel Hayom
These guys are the best in the world at what they do. Period. I have the good fortune to know some of them.
YAMAM team members training for hostage rescue
Technorati Tags: YAMAM, Israel, Urban Shield
Kol Hakavod!
I would add two thoughts…..
1) It wasn’t very long ago when YAMAMnicks would let hell freeze over before allowing their faces to be so openly published.
2) Our guys train for their job 24/7, and it shows, while these other SWAT teams perform other duties within their departments when not training with their SWAT. In other words, SWAT is not a full time job in most American PD’s, including the most well-known, Los Angeles’s.
As I said, just a couple of thoughts.
You will notice, though, that the photo is not exactly a closeup. And the faces are shadowed.