So much for the food pyramid or a balanced diet. Looking at the meal choices in the army mess hall, I'm thinking that there's not much difference between the sticky and starchy rice, couscous or pasta. But when you're in gadna (training for the Israeli army), food isn't your priority.    

Army training and being the target of an international war aren't your typical summer stories, but they were mine. When I went on the program Mach Hach Ba'aretz, the brochure promised “an experience of a lifetime” and it sure was. Touring for five weeks and training for one week was a life-changing experience because it was the first time I understood why people fight in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces).

I had been to Israel multiple times before, but I had never understood how people could live there or make aliyah if it's so dangerous and always under attack. But when you're in the army, you experience life from a different perspective. I walked miles in the scorching heat, bravely shot a real M-16, and was the head of my kvutzah (group).

I never thought I would be in a place where war was happening. I am a Jew, and my homeland is Israel. A war there is just about the hardest thing that could happen, but not standing up to such challenges would mean that we are fine with being a transient people, which we are most definitely not.

As I went through the training, the meals and the lessons, I would look up to see helicopters and jets soaring through the sky above me. Rather than feeling terrified of the reality—those planes could be dropping bombs in a couple of minutes—I felt confident and resolute on an army base helping my country stand strong.

At gadna I felt a sense of unity. It was different than your bunk at camp. We were strung together with an unbreakable string. When you're trying to walk tens of miles carrying a forty-pound jerry can, working together and taking turns carrying it is the only way you can continue to walk without collapsing. Experiences like this or getting up at the crack of dawn and folding our blankets every morning, in a precise eight-fold, could never have been accomplished alone. Our homeland needs our teamwork to survive. People say their help doesn't change the situation, but they don't understand the height of appreciation a soldier has for even a small present. One day we were given a special snack and you could see all of our eyes glowing at the sight of something new. No matter how hungry and tired I was, I knew I was having the experience of a lifetime.

Aimee Rubensteen, 16, lives in sunny Hollywood, Fla., but loves the rain. She writes poetry and has been published. She loves dancing, acting, singing, playing sports and trying to save the world. She is also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board. To join, email editor@jvibe.com.