U.S.

A future war in Israel's southern or northern borders will be fought by the IDF alone, but some of the U.S. procedures learned here can help the IDF to prepare

It's a drill they have all done before. But this time, it's different.

American ground forces training with an IDF armored division, showing the close ties between the two nations and the two armies, but also posing some challenges. Once they are dealt with, both sides will benefit.

"We had to learn their procedures, and they had to learn ours. The most important thing is mutual learning," said Lieutenant Colonel Eliran Ben Shitreet, the commander of the Spartans Unit. "There is no feeling of one army teaching the other, but rather learning together," he told us on one of the days of the joint drill.

There are many differences between the very big U.S. army and the much smaller IDF. Each side brings its own style of combat to the drill, and teaches the other things they cannot learn on their own.

"What I learned from them is the independence that each factor has in the field, because they are a professional army and have been doing this role for a long time. What they learned from us is how to combine all the different elements in the field into one force," said Major Dov Lang of the 7th armored division.

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The drill also demonstrates something much bigger than what can be seen on the ground in northern Israel. It's the playing out of the strategic alliance between the two nations, one that is above whatever happens in the White House or the Prime Minister's Office.

"The relationship with the U.S. is dramatic and it is not only on the higher echelons. It's on the captain, the major, the lieutenant level, and this is what you are seeing here on the field. This is building relationships," said IDF International Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht.

A future war on Israel's southern or northern borders will be fought by the IDF alone. But, some of the American procedures learned here can help the IDF come to that war better prepared.