The number of volunteer enlisted soldiers determined unfit for active duty reached 4,066 last year, a record high, a Ministry of National Defense report showed.
Starting next year, Taiwan is to restore compulsory military service to one year for men who were born in 2005 or later, and who are aged 18 or older.
However, as many young men go to college or university after graduating from high school, the ministry expects there to only be about 9,100 draftees serving the one-year compulsory military service next year, reaching about 35,000 draftees in 2027.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
However, the main force to defend the nation’s land, waters and airspace would be volunteer enlisted soldiers, it said.
According to the Act of Military Service for Volunteer Enlisted Soldiers (志願士兵服役條例), military service for volunteer enlisted soldiers cannot be less than four years, but the act was amended in 2009 to allow unsuitable volunteer enlisted soldiers the option of early release after three months of service, with a requirement to pay compensation.
About 20 percent of volunteer soldiers enlisted in the past five years paid the compensation to be released early, the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee said after last year’s review of the defense ministry’s budget.
The military’s limited training resources are being wasted, it said, adding that compensation-related issues is also a burden on the Ministry of Defense.
The committee made a resolution requiring the ministry to file a report on the analysis of the reasons volunteer enlisted soldiers were determined unfit for active duty, and its improvement methods.
There were 4,066 soldiers unfit for active duty last year, including 3,756 — 92.4 percent — who applied for early release, and 310 — 7.6 percent — who were expelled for receiving three major demerits or two major demerits and an annual performance grade of “C” or below within a year, a ministry report said.
When soldiers were asked why they applied for early release, 43.2 percent said they “have different career plans,” 35.2 percent said they “suffered from maladaptation,” 16 percent said it was due to “family reasons” and 3.6 percent said they had “physical problems or illnesses,” the report said.
The 1,322 soldiers who “suffered from maladaptation” included 766 who “could not adapt to military life,” 156 who “could not agree with troop management” and 137 who “could not agree with military culture,” it said.
Of the 310 soldiers expelled from military service, 22.6 percent had experienced traffic accidents outside the military camp, 21 percent had engaged in drunk driving, 16.5 percent had engaged in gambling and 11 percent had engaged in misconduct outside the military camp, the report said.
The report said the ministry would continue to enhance its new recruit orientation program, analyze the pros and cons of careers within the military and in the private sector, avoid imposing excessive limitations or giving sudden duties that could affect soldiers’ holiday plans, and present a military career vision for volunteer enlisted soldiers, while training them with professional skills.
With the low birthrate and increased salaries for conscripted soldiers, the army must adjust its overall labor planning, replace old equipment and develop military automation systems, Institute for National Defense and Security Research analyst Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌) said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,