An Lt.Colonel is likely the highest ranking officer that a "soldier" will have daily or weekly contact with. When I was in the norwegian army, an Lt.Colonel was my commander, meaning that we only saw the Brigader once or twice a month (when the entire department was gathering.) I dare say that a Lt. Colonel is a senior officer in the IDF as it is in Norway.
Remember, israel is not the USA, but more like Europe when it comes down to millitary structure. In the US army, a lowly seargant can call down an air-strike. In European armies (and I suspect in Israel), one would need the GO from an Lt.Colonel or perhaps a major to call down hell from above (interestingly, eropean NATO forces seldom bomb civilians, so there might be a reason...)Since a Lt.Colonel has so much more power than a company commander, I sincerly feel that the brand senior officer is quite fitting. At the very least, he is quite senior for the troops, and as I said, probably the most senior officer they can talk to. |
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