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Military sends drill troops by high-speed rail

More than 60 members of the 10th Army Group wait for a high-speed train at the Wurih Station near Taichung City yesterday. The soldiers were heading for Taoyuan to participate in the Han Kuang military exercises. PHOTO: CNA

Members of an Army brigade took the high-speed railway from central to northern Taiwan yesterday to expedite their participation in a military drill.

The soldiers — wearing camouflage uniforms and face paint — boarded the bullet train at the Wurih Station near Taichung City at 10am and arrived at the Taoyuan Station less than 40 minutes later, a spokesman for the Tenth Army Group said.

By taking the high-speed rail instead of regular trains or military trucks, the soldiers had time to make preparations and save their energy for the war games, the spokesman said.

In a new clip broadcast by SETV, some of the other high-speed rail passengers said they were startled when the soldiers showed up on the station platforms.

Meanwhile, parts of the annual Han Kuang military exercise were postponed because of the approach of Typhoon Hagupit.

“For safety reasons, we decided on Sunday that parts of the sea and air exercises would be canceled,” Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) said yesterday.

Among the canceled exercises were a paratroopers’ drill at the Cingcyuan Gang (清泉崗) air force base in Taichung and an amphibious drill in Pingtung County. Both were originally scheduled for today. Canceled drills would not be rescheduled, Chen said.

Fielding questions at the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Chen said the military was planning to cut its troops by roughly 70,000, although the exact number will be determined later. The troop reduction plan was still in the pipeline, he said.

In response to legislators’ concerns over whether the ministry was planning to cut 70,000 troops over the next four years in line with President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign promise to establish an all-volunteer military, Chen said the ministry would promote the development of the all-volunteer service system.

However, “I have not made a report to the president yet, since the plan is not yet mature,” he said.

Shifting to an all-volunteer service system will help determine if military reforms will succeed, Chen said, adding that any change in the armed forces’ structure must be based on actual warfare needs so that a new “lean and mean” military would be combat ready.

“None of the new plans will make any sense if they leave the troops unable to defend the nation,” he said.
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