Mon, Jul 10, 2017 page6

• Call to arms defeated by politics

  • By Johnny Shieh 謝國榮
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  When a Taiwanese delegation led by former Control Yuan president Frederick Chien (錢復) last month met with top US officials in Washington, the officials commented on Taiwan’s security, saying that Taiwan should not attempt to adopt a voluntary enlistment system, but should instead retain conscription.

  “Taiwan’s diminishing ability to maintain a credible deterrent capability may provide incentives and create opportunities for Beijing to take on greater risk, including using military force to achieve political objectives,” the US China Economic and Security Review Commission said in a June 2013 report to the US Congress.

  The commission was also concerned about the enlistment system pushed by then-president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration.

  “The military has had difficulty recruiting high-quality volunteers due to a number of factors, including a declining birth rate, a quickly aging workforce, and a culture that does not hold military service in high esteem,” it said.

  Taiwan is gradually replacing conscription with a volunteer recruitment system, and it is to stop conscription altogether from next year.

  Due to the reduction of the service period and ineffective measures to attract volunteers, a serious shortage of junior officers has already become apparent.

  For some army units, sergeants are serving as platoon leaders, while reserve officers or battalion commanders are serving as company commanders.

  This situation is common in all branches of the armed services.

  Take for example the ground combat forces. The actual number of sergeants in the branch is lower than half of the expected number. Despite the military’s need for 50,000 sergeants or at least 35,000 sergeants to meet minimum combat requirements, there is a severe shortfall. So it might be difficult for the nation to even muster an effective combat force.

  This year, there were only 414 graduates from the five military academies of the three armed forces. With 1,379 graduating in 2013 and 965 last year, the figure has been declining for a number of years.

  With regard to the five military academies’ recruitment efforts, more than 5,000 people took part in the military academies’ physical examinations last year, but only 1,300 people enrolled. Originally, the academies were hoping to recruit 1,390 male “military sponsored students” this year, but the actual number might be lower than half that.

  The Military Academy was hoping to recruit 350 students last year, but fewer than 200 students enrolled. One year later, only 166 students have made it to the second year.

  It was the worst year for the recruitment of military students and officers since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took office last year. Military morale has fallen further after reforms cut military pensions. The results of this or next year’s recruitment efforts might be even worse.

  I once pointed out in an article that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) relies mainly on conscripts and partially on volunteers, as those between the ages of 18 and 22 may be required to perform selective compulsory military service.

  Each year, as many as 10 million Chinese men are eligible for military service and one-tenth of the best who meet the requirements are conscripted. The criteria include physical strength, ability to work hard and endure hardship and a high level of education.

  However, despite facing such an efficient fighting force, Taiwan has actually shortened its service period year after year, deluding itself about its ability to combat the People’s Liberation Army troops with only a small number of poorly trained all-volunteer military personnel.

  Israel has a conscription system in place for all citizens aged at least 18. The length of service is three years for men and up to two years for women. The training is well-known around the world for its rigor.

  Every Swiss man must undertake military service when he reaches 20, and he must receive a required number of days of training annually up to the age of 42. He then becomes a reservist for the following 22 years.

  The UK, on the other hand, operates a volunteer system. An infantry soldier in the British army must perform four years of service.

  Israeli troops are tough, Switzerland brings the entire nation to arms and the British military capability is excellent. Thus, the key does not lie in whether a nation adopts a conscription system or a volunteer system. Rather, it lies in strict military training and the public’s awareness of potential danger.

  In the past, the length of Taiwan’s service was two years for army personnel and three years for navy and air force personnel.

  However, it has been slashed to less than one year on the back of political promises made during election campaigns and the volunteer system is showing signs of failure.

  This is the result of military professionalism yielding to politics.

  With weak national awareness, divergent national identity, and unification-independence disputes in Taiwanese society and the traditional bias that “good men do not join the military,” I cannot help but wonder: Even if Taiwan has the money to procure arms packages, who is going to join the military and use the weapons?

  Johnny Shieh is an assistant professor in Kao Yuan University’s department of marketing and distribution management.

  Translated by Eddy Chang
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