The army on Monday introduced new initiatives at its military facilities that allow soldiers to use smartphones, browse the Internet in their free time and enjoy improved accommodation, in a bid to boost lower-than-expected enlistment figures.
During a media tour at a base in Pingtung County, the army showed off new soldiers’ quarters, which include air conditioning and desks for individual soldiers. In the past, soldiers had only beds and lockers.
The 333rd Brigade at the base in Pingtung is among 35 military units that have been chosen by the army to improve soldiers’ quality of life through the inclusion of certain creature comforts.
Photo: CNA
Staff Sergeant Lu Shu-hao (呂書豪) said the barracks had improved drastically on the quarters he had lived in previously.
“It’s like 500 times cooler than before,” he said.
Lu belongs to an experimental company made up entirely of enlisted soldiers in the army’s 333rd Brigade.
Photo: CNA
Meeting reporters on a base tour, Lu cited improvements in comfort, atmosphere and hygiene, which he said make the barracks “no longer look like a cheap hotel.”
To increase the appeal of being part of an all-volunteer force, a goal set for 2017, the military has taken steps to improve the living conditions of service members, in addition to paying higher salaries.
Taking shower facilities as an example, Lu said soldiers in his company can now use separate cubicles instead of the open bath commonly seen in army barracks. To be able to relax is very important after a day of drills and exercising, he added.
Other improvements include individual bunks, desks and closets, and perhaps more important for modern young people: The right to use smartphones.
In order to join the army, Lu gave up his US citizenship, saying it was the most important and the best decision he has made in his life so far.
Private Cheng Kai-yang also gave a thumbs-up for the improvements at the base, particularly new initiatives that include allowing military personnel to live off-base and eat outside on work days.
Being able to use smartphones at the base also allows them to stay connected with the rest of the world, Cheng said.
“I believe this will attract more young people to enlist,” he added.
According to the army, 80 percent of the military personnel at the selected 35 units have expressed satisfaction with the improved daily facilities and new measures.
The army began implementing the initiatives in October last year and over the past three months, 10 percent of the young men who are required to undergo four months of military training as part of the military’s plan to shift to an all-volunteer force agreed to enlist.
The army said it is planning to implement the new initiatives at more of its military units. In the 35 units, those who have volunteered to sign up for longer military service increased from 45.3 percent to 56.1 percent, according to the military.
The transition to an all-volunteer army was originally planned for next year, but the army pushed the date back due to lower-than-expected recruitment figures.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS