From Air Force Commander-in-Chief General Chen Chao-ming (
Those disciplined included nine generals and 65 middle- or low-ranking officers or NCOs, making this the largest-ever disciplinary action in the air force.
General Chen was given a demerit for having failed to do his duty as the top supervisor of the service, said Major General Lai Chin-chun (
Other senior officials punished include Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Liu Kuei-li (
The last large-scale disciplinary action in the air force occurred several years ago after an airman raped and murdered a young girl at the Air Force General Headquarters.
Lai apologized on behalf of Chen to the public once again for the series of ammunition thefts and a rifle robbery at the Taoyuan base. Both Chen and Minister of National Defense Tang Fei (
The first theft occurred on the night of Oct. 3, when 8,960 rounds of ammunition for the domestically-made 65-K2 rifle were stolen from a guarded munitions depot.
The second case was reported eight days later on Oct. 11, after 60 flare bombs, 24 packs of detonators, 17 training grenades and 22 colored smoke bombs were discovered missing from another guarded depot.
The rifle robbery took place in broad daylight on Feb. 2, when five armed men grabbed the 65-K2 rifle of an airman headed for his shift at a guard post outside the base.
Military and police investigators determined all three thefts were connected and the cases were solved Feb. 6 following the arrest of seven suspects and recovery of the stolen ammunition and rifle, said Major General Yang Chien-ping (
Five other suspects were already under arrest for alleged involvement in the first ammo theft, including three airmen from the base, Yang said.
In an attempt to prevent similar incidents, Lai said, "The air force will try its best to improve security measures for ammunition depots and airmen guarding base entrances or assets outside barracks."
"From now on, if any civilian is found intruding on any of the air bases or acting in a way that might endanger the lives of our airmen, he will be met with prompt self-defense action from us," Lai said.
A self-defense action in such situations, which has been vaguely defined by the armed forces, will mean "shoot to kill," said Colonel Li Yueh-chang (
"If the lives of our soldiers or the security of the military assets they are guarding is being threatened, an immediate firing upon will be the response," Li said.
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The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
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