Having served as a military officer for 30 years, I would like to respond to the article “Military training and phone security” published on page 8 of the Taipei Times yesterday.
The author of the article begins with how the Ukrainian military was able to use the cellphone signals of Russian soldiers to pinpoint their location and launch missiles to kill them, and then moves on to discuss issues such as the recent leak of sex videos filmed by a couple in the military, the need for soldiers to learn about cyberattacks, cognitive warfare and fifth-generation warfare, and the US-China tensions resulting from the Chinese surveillance balloon controversy.
The author continues, saying that military officers need to train soldiers in a modern way and broaden their world views, and concludes that providing instruction on cellphone use to protect military intelligence and maintaining discipline to avoid damaging the military’s reputation are but two minor examples.
However, the devil is in the details. In theory and in practice, officers are the backbone of the military, and non-commissioned officers and soldiers receive orders from them to complete preparation duties and exercises. Therefore, officers are leaders and commanders.
Before I was discharged from the military, I taught a course on constitutional government and national defense at the National Defense University’s War College. I would use the early research of US political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, on the nationalization of the military and the concept of military professionalism from his book The Soldier and the State.
Huntington wrote that the modern military officer is a professional, as they need to have special military knowledge and expertise, a sense of social responsibility and strictly adhere to group consciousness, or “corporateness.”
In times of war, an officer is expected to display specialized knowledge in the management of violence, and their responsibilities include organizing, equipping and training troops, as well as planning military operations and directing the course of battle.
The professionalization of the officer is built upon a military education, and every cadet requires a resolve that they have what it takes to become a military professional. The officers who lead these cadets also need to assess whether they possess the criteria and discipline that a military professional requires, and if any of these qualities are deemed lacking, they must reinforce them, or their trainees will be unable to educate and lead later generations.
In addition, military officers must make every effort to serve as an example for non-commissioned officers and soldiers. If they are involved in leaks, espionage, corruption or inappropriate relations with another member of the military, however minor, non-commissioned officers and soldiers would still question the officer’s professionalism, and the hierarchical structure of command would be affected. If the media manipulated this conduct, it would also mean that the public would begin to doubt whether the nation’s armed forces are fit for purpose.
The Chinese communists jump on any negative news concerning the Republic of China (ROC) military, and would use it as propaganda for their own forces, giving the People’s Liberation Army a reason to deride the ROC armed forces.
Irrespective of whether certain issues are born of individual failings or moral defects, the influence of poor conduct on the military’s capabilities is considerable. The level of damage is comparable to a lack of military professionalism, and should be regarded with the same degree of seriousness.
Chang Ling-ling is a colonel in the armed forces reserves.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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