Army tells MKs 600 career soldiers seeking early retirement amid increasing burnout

Senior officers in the IDF’s Personnel Directorate tell lawmakers that some 600 career soldiers are seeking early retirement, and junior officers are being promoted early to bridge the gaps.

“There are gaps. To close some of the gaps, we are promoting young people with less experience to fill the ranks,” Brig. Gen. Amir Vadmani, chief of staff at the Personnel Directorate, tells the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s IDF Human Resources Subcommittee.

“We have a decline in the selection ratio. By 2028, we need to appoint 400 lieutenant colonels out of the 500 candidates currently available, and this will further erode by 2028. We conduct surveys and can see the trends; at all levels, we see an increase in burnout,” Vadmani says.

Vadmani notes that the salary for career officers is “perceived as too low and insufficiently rewarding, certainly relative to the level of responsibility and expectations,” despite various steps the army has taken.

“Career service has unique characteristics, including mobility and relocation throughout the country according to assignments; we do not permit income supplements from private work; 24/7 availability [is often expected]; daily work under operational stress; no right to strike or unionize; the burden on the family, and more,” he says.

The IDF, for years, has struggled to keep career soldiers in the military, as civilian work has been seen as far more lucrative and less stressful. The issue has been exacerbated recently due to burnout from the war, perceived worsening service conditions, political delegitimization, and discontent over recent appointments within IDF leadership.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the head of the Personnel Directorate Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, and other top officers have been working on plans to address the growing crisis and prevent legislation that could further harm conditions for career soldiers.