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Retired servicemen find life tough after military
HARD LANDING:
Life in the armed forces can be hard, but many of the men who have retired from the forces are finding that civilian life is harder
By Brian Hsu
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Apr 04, 2003, Page 2
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"I have to earn more money. Being a guard is nothing to be ashamed of. At least I have never tried to betray our country by selling military secrets to foreign arms dealers."
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Chou, retired naval commander
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Due recent streamlining efforts, tens of thousands of servicemen are being forced to retire early and find a second career. But only a few are landing a decent job once they leave the military.
A survey conducted by the Veterans Affairs Commissions (VAC) of the Executive Yuan last year found that the unemployment rate for retired servicemen is around 30 percent, more than five times the rate for civilians.
However, even those who do find employment mainly end up working in low-paying jobs such as apartment-building doormen or security guards.
The true jobless figure for retired servicemen may be much higher since these people usually will not stay long in their jobs, said Li Hao-jan (§õ¯EµM), chief of the VAC's service center in Taipei County.
"It's really hard for the retired servicemen to find a stable and well-paying job after leaving the military," Li said. "They do not have any special skills that can help them compete with their civilian counterparts."
"They are also less competitive in age. Most of the jobs in the private sector have age limitations of around 35. Retired servicemen are mostly past that age," he said.
"The jobs they can get are concentrated on security and the services sector. Those jobs are often relatively low-paid but have longer working hours. Because of that many retired servicemen do not stay long at their jobs," he said.
Retired that have the most difficulty in finding a new job are the career officers ranked major or above. Younger officers have a much better chance of finding a second career for themselves after leaving the military.
Not all retired servicemen are hunting for jobs since many of them receive monthly retirement pensions from the government.
However, the retirement pension does not meet the needs of everyone. Many pension receivers still look to earn extra money for their families.
A retired naval commander, who once held a number of important positions at the Ministry of National Defense, is now a guard at an office building. He is also a pension receiver.
"My family could not live by my pension alone," he said. "I have to earn more money. Being a guard is nothing to be ashamed of. At least I have never tried to betray our country by selling military secrets to foreign arms dealers," said the retired naval commander, who would give only his family name, Chou.
Chou a typical example of a middle-aged military official who leaves the military early. Chou retired early three years ago because of military streamlining projects.
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