The Ministry of National Defense should launch an investigation into Thursday’s death of a conscript during his four-month military service, lawmakers said yesterday.
The conscript, named Chuan Juo-yao (全若堯), died in an incident while loading a tank, the Apple Daily reported.
The ministry should investigate the circumstances of his death, as conscripts should not be allowed near tanks during their basic training, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said, citing training protocols that do not involve tank maintenance and repairs.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
Wang said he would also ask the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee to launch an independent investigation into the incident, which reportedly occurred after Chuan was ordered to load an artillery shell into the tank’s firing chamber.
An unsecured breach lock on the chamber is suspected to have caused his fatal injuries, the Web site reported.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) also called on the ministry to investigate the incident.
The ministry should compile data on injuries during exercises, and if they show that injury rates have risen, it should review its training and exercise safety protocols, Chiang said.
In contrast to previous mandatory service terms of one or two years, which allowed conscripts to undergo specialized training, current ministry regulations allow people serving their four-month military service to operate and fire rifles, but not operate tanks.
The ministry must look into the issue and find out whether Chuan was ordered to operate the tank despite not being qualified, or whether he was merely riding in the tank when the incident occurred, Chiang said.
Exercises should simulate war as closely as possible, but if that leads to a large number of accidents, it would affect soldiers’ morale and the public’s confidence in the military, Chiang said.
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