Captain Tamar Ariel grew up in a religious Jewish home in a cooperative farming community in southern Israel. At age 20 she was the only woman to be accepted to the Flight Academy of the Israeli Air Force, where she trained and served as a rear-seat, F-16D combat navigator. In the autumn of 2014, wishing for new experiences after her military service, Tamar traveled to Nepal. With a group of other Israeli and international hikers she reached the peak of the Annapurna mountain range only to encounter an unexpected snow storm. Using her air force survival training,Tamar managed to save a number of lives before succumbing to hyperthermia in the snow. She was one of 36 people who lost their lives that night.