IDF Chief of Staff Reshuffling Army Brass

Brig. Gen. Roni Noma has been named the new commander of the Israel Defense Forces Depth Corps and will be promoted to major-general. He will also serve as commander of the Command and Staff College.

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Noma, who is currently commander of the National Center for Ground Training in Tze’elim, will replace Depth Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Shay Avital, who will be leaving the IDF. As commander of the Command and Staff College, Noma will be replacing Brig. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who is slated to become chief of Military Intelligence.

Noma in the past commanded the Duvdevan Unit, the Shaldag Unit, the Nahal Brigade and served as an aide to Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. As commander of the Tze’elim base and a reserve division, Noma headed an IDF committee that examined the structure of the military reserve system and presented a plan for its reform, which would release of thousands of people from reserve duty in their 30s and have combat units train more often than rear units.

Noma’s appointment, which will also make him a member of the IDF General Staff, is part of a round of appointments that Chief of Staff Benny Gantz is making before he leaves his post next year. Others include moving the current head of Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, to Northern Command commander, and naming Halevi as his replacement. Brig. Gen. Hagai Topolansky will become head of the Personnel Directorate, and Brig. Gen. Yossi Bachar will become commander of the Northern Corps. Both will be promoted to major general.