The Ministry of National Defense yesterday announced a list of 38 officers that will be promoted to the ranks of major-general, rear admiral, lieutenant-general or vice-admiral effective Jan. 1.
The list includes the first woman to be made a general in 44 years -- Colonel Pan Ai-chu (潘愛珠) of the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB), who is being promoted to the rank of major general.
The list was initially expected to be announced on Christmas Eve according to past practice. However, military officials broke with tradition and announced the list yesterday, the day after Christmas.
Defense ministry officials explained the change in tradition by saying that no particular date has ever been set aside to announce the promotion of senior officers.
It has been speculated that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had postponed the announcement of the list due to "unspecified" considerations regarding the military leadership reshuffle scheduled for next month.
Though the officers being promoted are not of the stature to be directly affected by the reshuffle, their elevation plays a role in the president's plans for shaking up the military establishment and overall defense reform.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the officers selected by the president for promotion on Jan. 1 represent different factions within the military.
"Chief of the General-Staff General Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) has certainly provided a list of candidates to President Chen for consideration. Whether or not President Chen has supported Tang's recommendations can be seen in the results," the official said.
The official declined, however, to share his interpretation of General Tang's standing with the president vis-a-vis yesterday's promotion list.
According to the list, the army will get the lion's share of the new promotions, with a total of 20.
The navy will see seven senior commanders promoted, while only three air force officers are to be elevated.
Intelligence-related departments, including the National Security Bureau (NSB), Military Intelligence Bureau (part of the NSB) and military police, will see six elevated to the rank of major general.
The Coast Guard Administration will also see one from its ranks, a colonel, promoted to major general at the turn of the year.
Colonel Chiang Ting-chi (姜廷基), who served in the army before transferring to the coast guard last year, is to be the third senior official to be promoted to major-general or lieutenant- general after transferring to the coast guard.
Chiang is currently the deputy director of the southern branch of the coast guard's general coast department.
He took the post on Dec. 1.
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