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Exodus of military coast guard personnel feared

Over 200 military personnel who have served with the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) since the administration's inauguration three years ago have formally requested to return to the military, with yet another 200 to 300 likely to follow suit, CGA officials said yesterday.

"The main reason is that they do not think they will have a good future if they stay with the CGA," said an official who wished to remain anonymous.

The Ministry of National Defense, which does not show any interest in accepting the return of these people to the military, is taking steps to curb a possible exodus of military personnel from the coast guard, CGA officials said.

But despite the defense ministry's apparent indifference, the 200-plus military personnel serving with the coast guard are still hoping that their requests to return to the military will be granted.

The CGA acknowledged the fact, saying it respects the wish of the personnel who were transferred from the military when the administration was inaugurated.

An official with the public relations office of the coast guard said the actual number of military personnel who want to go back to the military is two to three times that of those who have already made the request.

"Under the organizational law of the CGA, military personnel serving with the administration have to pass civil servant exams. The first civil servant exam held in 2001 specially for the coast guard had a negative influence on our military personnel. Only two of those who passed the exam were military officers of the administration," the official said.

The exam results dealt a heavy blow to military personnel serving with the coast guard.

Many military members of the coast guard complained that they did not have time to prepare for the examination because of the heavy daily workload. The two who passed the exam were based in an office, where they apparently had much more time to study.

The CGA, though not intending to stop military personnel from requesting to return to the military, is making plans to convince them to stay. One of the possibilities being considered is to arrange future civil servant exams for the CGA in a way that will allow more military personnel to pass. This has yet to be approved by the Examination Yuan.
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