On Thursday last week Taiwan suffered a tragedy: Eight military officers, including Chief of the General Staff General Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴), were killed in a helicopter crash.
It was a human tragedy and a military setback, of course, but it was also a significant blow to Taiwan’s diplomacy, as Shen played a central role in the nation’s all-important relationship with Washington.
The catastrophe has no silver lining. I can only hope that the sacrifices of those who died and of the five injured survivors can inspire Taiwanese to reflect for a moment on how important the armed forces are in preserving everything they hold dear.
The accident reminds us that military service is never without risk. Even a general whose job mostly involves commuting to an office in downtown Taipei must be ready to climb into a helicopter in bad weather to review troops at a distant base.
When a young person chooses a military career, he or she is also choosing that risk, not out of a desire for personal gain, but out of an understanding that it is the cost of serving.
The accident also reminds us that preparing for war is uncomfortable and challenging, physically and psychologically. It requires practicing for war, and learning to use the tools and weapons of war.
Those tools and weapons are dangerous; soldiers must feel their power if they are to be ready to fight. Accidents are inevitable when the mission is driven by the necessity to succeed rather than an imperative to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Meanwhile, let us not forget the psychological toll of spending every day preparing for an event most of us dare not even imagine.
The tragedy also reminds us that the military’s mission goes beyond preparing for war. Military cooperation is a critical component of international partnerships and Taiwan’s military personnel play a central role in maintaining substantive relationships with other states, especially the US.
Shen made enormous contributions in this regard, even as he stayed out of the limelight.
He advanced Taiwan’s security as a military commander and as a key diplomatic player, asking nothing for himself.
Professional military service is not for everyone. It is a way of life that requires unusual attributes and demands extraordinary sacrifices, but to say that it is not for everyone is not to say it is not for anyone.
There are men and women who thrive in the military, and Taiwanese should recognize and honor their choice to serve.
Military service is unique. It combines physical and mental challenges. It offers opportunities to learn, and practice teamwork and leadership. It requires discipline and initiative, and while it also provides opportunities for recognition and reward, it is always in service to something greater than oneself.
Taiwanese should not follow the example of the US, where an uncritical, superficial adulation of the military has replaced genuine understanding and sincere respect for military service. Truly supporting the troops means respecting a young person’s determination to serve, even when we find it hard to understand or we fear for their safety.
My wishes for Taiwanese in the wake of this tragedy are these: First, I hope you will recognize those killed and injured as the heroes they truly were. They risked — and eight of them gave — their lives for you.
Second, I hope those among you who see yourself in their image will consider following in their footsteps. I hope you will be supported in that choice by your families, friends, teachers and neighbors — the very people you are willing to serve.
Shelley Rigger is the Brown professor of East Asian politics at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina.
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