Bahad 16
Bahad 16 (; lit: Training base 16) is a training base (bahad) belonging to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) under the command of the Home Front Command Search and Rescue (SAR) unit. Because it is the only SAR training base, Bahad 16 is synonymous with the SAR unit itself. Since 2021 it is located at the , Ramla, which is also the headquarters of the Home Front Command. Previously it was located within the disestablished Tzrifin base. This unit should not be confused with Unit 669. Bahad 16 is a domestic search and rescue unit, primarily operating in times of natural disasters, while Unit 669 is the Israeli Air Force's Tactical Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) unit that operates behind enemy lines. History IDF Home Front Command Search and Rescue unit was a re-organization of HaGaHa, the Israeli civil defense force. It was created in February 1992 following the Gulf War, which, as the most threatening war to Israel's homeland since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, led to a perceived need for more security beyond the border. Purpose The SAR unit serves as a ready unit for natural disasters (such as earthquakes and floods), for civil disasters (such as the Versailles