Armed forces facing personnel shortage

"Most of the soldiers are of the so-called `strawberry' generation. They might be very smart, but can not cope with a heavy workload and intense working conditions."

Army officer, speaking on condition of anonymity

The armed forces have been experiencing a general shortage of personnel since the compulsory service term for conscripts was reduced by two months at the beginning of the year, defense officials said yesterday.

The number of soldiers who were discharged last month was significantly more than the monthly average in the past.

The first soldiers to benefit from the new measure said they were happy, but the workload of the remaining conscripts has increased as a result of the reduced service term, because fewer people are left to do the same amount of work.

Soldiers what affects them most is the sentry duty. Where previously they had at most three shifts a day to stand guard, they now have an average of four shifts each day.

An officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the condition appears unbearable to soldiers, who are generally weak in physical strength and fragile in mental state.

"The four shifts of sentry duty a day include three in the daytime and one late at night. They can rest for several hours between each shift, but many soldiers complain the workload is much too heavy. Most of the soldiers are of the so-called `strawberry' generation. They might be very smart, but can not cope with a heavy workload and intense working conditions," the officer said.

"We have been telling them that this is a transitional period and that the situation will improve within a few months," he said.

The compulsory service term for conscripts was cut from 22 months to 20 months from Jan. 1 following an executive order of the Ministry of National Defense. The conscription law has not been changed, and still stipulates a 22-month term.

It is not known how long the measure is to last. Many opposition politicians have said that the reduction is aimed at attracting votes in the March 20 presidential election.

The compulsory service term was last reduced four years ago, also prior to the presidential election.

But according to some defense sources the service term can be cut further. The ministry's final goal is to reduce the term to one year over the next five years, the sources said.

They said the reduced service term is inevitable, since the military will need fewer and fewer personnel in future.

Some said that while the ministry is trying to streamline the military forces' personnel structure, it has neglected to tackle the red tape and make the jobs of those who survive the personnel cut easier.

This has been the case since the previous personnel streamlining effort, the "Chingshih" project, which was conducted between 1996 and 2000, sources said.