February19, 2007: In an unusual choice for a new career, the retiring head of the Israeli armed forces, general Dan Halutz, will remain in the air force reserves, and serve as a flight instructor. Actually, it's common for senior Israeli air force officers, who normally retire in their 50s, to stay in the reserves for a few more years, and act as flight instructors. The Israelis have found that decades of flying experience, and the maturity that comes with age, works well when training new pilots. Halutz was the first air force officer to be the Israel Defense Forces chief of staff (in effect, the senior military officer, the prime minister actually has the final word on military decisions). Halutz was also in charge during last Summers war with Hizbollah in Lebanon, and took a lot of heat for relying too much on warplanes, and not enough on well trained infantry.