Senior IDF Officer Collapses And Dies During Training 3 Days After Becoming Nahal Brigade Commander

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A senior IDF officer collapsed and died Thursday during a fitness training session at an Israeli military base.

Col. Sharon Asman had just taken command of the Nahal infantry brigade on Monday and was doing fitness training with soldiers at the unit’s Beit Lid base when he collapsed. Asman received immediate medical attention but was pronounced dead at the scene. Asman’s wife and daughters were notified and the military is investigating the incident.

The 43-year-old father of two had been a career soldier for 25 years and had fought in Lebanon and in the Gaza strip. During the Protective Edge operation in 2014, Asman had been wounded but refused to be evacuated and insisted on returning to his command the same day, leading his infantry battalion to significant operational achievements against Hamas fighters in Beit Hanoun, the army said. Asman received a military citation for his efforts in that war.

Asman receiving the command of the Nahal Brigade on Monday

A close colleague described Asman as “a professional with a pure heart. A model and paradigm for the sentence ‘see what I do and then do it yourselves’. A shy smile with tons of courage and coolness behind it.”

Speaking at a ceremony marking his appointment on Monday, Asman said, “I receive the command of this brigade with a sense of commitment to this huge calling. This is a brigade where I fought and unfortunately lost friends, commanders and subordinates.

“We are ready and willing to take on any task. We will be first at the forefront of every challenge, with a commitment to meet the task and win. We will set a high bar and make sure to raise it and remain relevant.”

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sent his condolences to Asman’s family, saying, “Asman was one of our best. He gave the majority of his life for the preservation of Israel’s security.”

President Reuven Rivlin called Asman “a man of action with a big heart who loved his subordinates and all those around him.”

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Asman’s untimely death was “heartbreaking.”

“With heroism, initiative and humility we will defeat every enemy,” Gantz said, quoting Asman’s remarks from the exchange of command ceremony. “This is how we will remember him: a hero, an entrepreneur and a humble man who contributed greatly to Israel’s security.”