The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that it would increase the number of reservists called up to its largest annual drills by more than 5,000, in line with its policy to boost the combat readiness of the nation’s reserve force.
Last year’s Tung Hsin mobilization exercise saw the participation of 14,647 reservists and active-duty service members, an increase of 2,032 from a year earlier, Deputy Inspector General Chou Chin-lung (周錦龍) told a news conference.
The number of reservists mobilized for this year’s Tung Hsin exercise would increase further, Chou said.
Photo: CNA
The Tung Hsin exercise is held concurrently with the Han Kuang military exercises to test reservists’ ability to swiftly assemble into a fighting force or provide assistance to police, first responders or civil defense teams.
This year’s Han Kuang exercises are to be held from July 9 to 18, the ministry said.
Hsia Chen-kuo (夏振國), deputy head of the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency’s Mobilization Management Division, said more than 20,000 reservists would be mobilized for the Tung Hsin exercise, meaning there would be at least 5,000 more reservists engaging in the drill this year.
Reservists participating in the drill would be trained to fire pistols and rifles in standing, kneeling and prone positions to help them become familiar with real-world combat scenarios, Hsia said.
The higher number of reservists set to be mobilized in the drill is partly due to an increase in the members of regional reserve brigades, Hsia added.
Increasing the number of reservists participating in the drill is also consistent with the ministry’s policy of “transforming” the reserve force into a more combat-ready branch of the military, Chou said.
Among the ministry’s major policy goals are boosting the joint combat and training capabilities of the army, navy and air force, holding more realistic drills to better approximate battlefield situations, and strengthening cooperation between the armed forces and civilians, Chou said.
Other major goals include achieving autonomy in national defense technologies, building a complete national defense supply chain, expanding international collaborations and exchanges regarding defense affairs, and retaining high-caliber talent in the military, Chou added.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
LEISURE: The new law adds Confucius’ birthday, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou, Constitution Day and Little New Year as national holidays The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed new legislation adding four national holidays and making Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party used their combined majority in the legislature to push the jointly proposed draft through its third and final reading. This new law supersedes the existing regulations for the implementation of memorial days and state holidays, which are administered by the Ministry of the Interior. The new law recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the anniversary of the Battle of Guningtou on Oct. 25, Constitution Day on Dec. 25 and “Little New Year,”