my name is ashlee vance, i am an author and journalist and i am on a quest to find the most innovativeech creations and meet the beautiful freaks behind them. ashlee: the israeli military dominates much of the country's culture. at 18 years of age, men and women had off for 2-3 years of required service. the kids who would be trying to caterer orbest sleeping through class in the united states find themselves. dealing with the most intense of situations. these young soldiers also learn to use some of the most advanced military technology around. has given the idf them the edge, i decided to check it out up close to see the iron dome. i have traveled to a coastal city south of tel aviv that nudges up against the gaza strip. >> what you are seeing is the launcher, it has 20 missiles on it, you can see the red light flashing which means armed and ready. solee: one of the dozen or batteries sits at the ready to intercept missiles and provide israel with a shield from aerial attacks. lieutenant colonel cohen overseas operations. is this as close as we get? >> and this is as close as we get.