GOC Army Headquarters - The IDF's Third Arm

The IDF's Third Arm

Under the IDF 2000 reforms, Mazi was set to become the IDF's third Arm, alongside the Air and Space Arm and the Sea Arm. Until the creation of Mazi, IDF ground forces were directly subordinate to the Chief of Staff through the Regional Commands (North, South and Central). The meaning of the reform was to subordinate the ground forces to one ground commander, who is a part of the Joint Staff, by the example of the Israeli Air Force and Navy; and unlike the United States Armed Forces, where operational Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps units and other support units are subordinated to Unified Combatant Commands.

The proposed reform for the Ground Arm was rejected, and the ground forces remain subordinate to the 3 regional commands. Likewise with combat support and rear-line corps, which in part remain subordinate to respective Directorates. In times of battle, the Ground Arm Commander acts as an advisor to the IDF Chief of Staff on ground warfare.

As an IDF arm, the Ground Arm is meant to build of the ground forces' strength and working toward balance, combination, and coordination between the ground corps. It does so by instruction and training of individuals and units, writing and publishing the relevant doctrine, organizing the forces with respect for their missions and R&D and acquisition of materiel. Its authority ranges up to the corps level. Above it, meaning the regional commands themselves, the authority is of the Joint Staff.