Army Rangers undertaking a 23-day march -- due to be completed today -- have also been helping with the nation's forestry conservation work, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
"In addition to undertaking regular training courses, our army rangers have also been assisting with forestry conservation at locations inaccessible to civilians," said Army Headquarters' armament training department director Major General Wang Kuo-chiang (
"They have been planting trees, removing fallen trees, recording and reporting illegal lumbering and construction and seeking to identify locations which may be in danger from landslides," Wang said.
PHOTO: HSU SHAO-HSUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
Wang said the military wants its soldiers to have the capacity to fight during combat situations and to be able to undertake rescues or help with environmental protection during peace time.
As a result, forestry conservation was included during the 23-day march, Wang said yesterday at a press conference.
Wang said the program, which was designed for special forces, involved 336km of route marching, and has been undertaken by the Army Rangers' 862 Brigade.
The brigade's training march began at Hsuehshan (雪山), continuing through Alishan (阿里山) and is due to end at their Kaohsiung base this afternoon.
Wang said the continuous heavy rain over the last few weeks had been a nightmare for the rangers, but the troops have coped well.
Lieutenant Shiung Ming-rung (
He said Taiwan's Rangers' training was comparable to that of a US Ranger.
"Tired is the only thing that you can feel during the training," Shiung said. "I have experienced the training of US Rangers and Taiwan's Rangers and I must say, what we have here in Taiwan is in no way easier."
Shiung graduated from Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, in 2004. In March, he was chosen as the only Taiwanese participant in a two-month US Ranger training program at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Shiung was the only Asian among the 375 participants. Only 186 of the trainees were able to complete the program and Shiung was one of them, finishing the training on May 5 and returning to Taiwan on May 24.
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