Two female pilots and a female combat navigator are set to receive their wings from Israel Air Force (IAF) Commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nechushtan when they graduate Thursday from the 161st IAF Pilot Course.
President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi will also greet the new graduates.
A significant number of graduates this year (22.5 percent) originate from the southern region, an increase over the previous course six months ago, which saw only five percent of graduates from the region.
Fifteen percent of those receiving their wings are immigrants to the country, and 22.5 percent have a foreign language as their mother tongue. Of these, the majority (20 percent of the graduates) are native English speakers; 2.5 percent are Russian speakers.
The data also show that 7.5 percent of the graduates are religious Jews, and 15 percent consider themselves to be "traditionally religious."
A majority - 55 percent - were members of a youth movement in their earlier years, which included the Israeli Scouts (22.5 percent), Bnei Akiva (7.5 percent), Bnei HaMoshavim (7.5 percent), the Agricultural Union (7.5 percent) and HaNoar HaOved V'HaLomed (2.5 percent), among others.
There was also an increase in the number of graduates - 20 percent - who had volunteered for a year of national service before being drafted; in the previous two cycles, 12 percent had served national service prior to the draft.
Many of the graduates are eldest siblings (37.5 percent), although there were also many (25 percent) who were the youngest in their families.
