It is certainly relevant. There will still be many soldiers on operations in and around Aza. Just fewer than now. I wonder why the Chief Rabbinate issue this? I would have thought it is the jurisdiction of the Army Rabbinate. In any case, it is a pretty clear issue.

In '84 I got home for a Shabbat from Lebanon, shortly before 9 Av. I spoke with Rav Mordechai Eliyahu about fasting. He said the people on operations should not fast at all. If anyone was not operational and wanted to fast, they should nonetheless drink water so as not to be too weakened. They might still have to respond to an incident. I shared this with my comrades when I returned to the field. Some of the guys were quite learned Jews. It was interesting how some of the guys insisted they would fast, no matter what. You would have thought we were talking about Yom Kippur! We had quite an argument about it; but as I recall a few guys fasted anyway. I think they made a mistake both in judgment and halachah.

very interesting Mordechai. thanks