In recent years, the military has seen a significant increase in instances of espionage, disciplinary infringements and other cases harmful to its image.
The unique nature of military assignments comes with far more pressure than a normal job. However, encouraging positive interpersonal interactions that promote solidarity is the most effective method for risk reduction.
The leadership styles of military officers directly influence feelings of unity and solidarity among soldiers.
Solidarity can create relationships akin to brotherhood, allowing soldiers in a unit to share aspirations and hardships. This sense of camaraderie can bring comfort despite the difficulty of some military assignments. Although the military emphasizes a hierarchical system of obedience — where every command is followed without question — officers should also work to establish close relationships with fellow soldiers. More than mere obedience, officers’ displays of genuine concern for their fellow soldiers is the best way to guarantee high morale.
The entire military must work together to establish solidarity and high morale across all ranks, along with a strong sense of shared identity within the military — this is the best way to build highly effective, battle-ready forces.
Soldiers rarely have opportunities for team-building activities or group trips. Although recreational activities are often held within barracks, they typically consist of superficial forms of entertainment and do nothing to build motivation or solidarity.
The military could use behavioral science techniques used by many businesses to foster sympathy and a shared sense of purpose within an organization, thereby enhancing work efficiency to achieve organizational goals. That approach could not only improve soldiers’ interpersonal skills, but could also promote an atmosphere of solidarity within a unit.
The confidential nature of military assignments has led to a disconnect between the military and the outside world. For this reason, many soldiers want nothing more than to relax when they have time off, which has led to many disciplinary incidents.
The military should try its best to create more opportunities for soldiers’ families to become involved in its environment.
The more family members become familiar with the military environment, the better they can understand the challenges their loved ones face. Deeper understanding from family members could help soldiers feel more relaxed, which could mitigate risks and encourage the successful completion of assignments.
In summary, risk management in the military should focus on improving the quality of leadership of military officers, cultivating team dynamics within units and allowing family members to integrate with the military environment.
Together, these measures can create strong feelings of solidarity and improve morale across all ranks, foster a sense of joint identity and build a highly effective, battle-ready military force.
Chen Chi-nung is a political commentator.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
Taiwan has lost Trump. Or so a former State Department official and lobbyist would have us believe. Writing for online outlet Domino Theory in an article titled “How Taiwan lost Trump,” Christian Whiton provides a litany of reasons that the William Lai (賴清德) and Donald Trump administrations have supposedly fallen out — and it’s all Lai’s fault. Although many of Whiton’s claims are misleading or ill-informed, the article is helpfully, if unintentionally, revealing of a key aspect of the MAGA worldview. Whiton complains of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s “inability to understand and relate to the New Right in America.” Many
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this month raised its travel alert for China’s Guangdong Province to Level 2 “Alert,” advising travelers to take enhanced precautions amid a chikungunya outbreak in the region. More than 8,000 cases have been reported in the province since June. Chikungunya is caused by the chikungunya virus and transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These species thrive in warm, humid climates and are also major vectors for dengue, Zika and yellow fever. The disease is characterized by high fever and severe, often incapacitating joint pain.
In nature, there is a group of insects known as parasitoid wasps. Their reproductive process differs entirely from that of ordinary wasps — the female lays her eggs inside or on the bodies of other insects, and, once hatched, the larvae feed on the host’s body. The larvae do not kill the host insect immediately; instead, they carefully avoid vital organs, allowing the host to stay alive until the larvae are fully mature. That living reservoir strategy ensures a stable and fresh source of nutrients for the larvae as they grow. However, the host’s death becomes only a matter of time. The resemblance
Most countries are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with condemnations of militarism and imperialism, and commemoration of the global catastrophe wrought by the war. On the other hand, China is to hold a military parade. According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Beijing is conducting the military parade in Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 to “mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.” However, during World War II, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) had not yet been established. It
RSS