The Ministry of National Defense this year expanded its rifle sharpshooter practice program for reservists to include more training camps.
The training program, which was launched last year as part of government efforts to improve the combat readiness of the nation’s reserve forces, started with a one-day training camp in four administrative regions — Miaoli County, Hualien County, Taichung and Kaohsiung.
Applications for last year’s program were open to reservists who had served in the military within the past 12 years and had not participated in annual compulsory reservist training that year.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
Sixty applicants were selected for each camp, and they practiced with T91 assault rifles. They were each required to fire at least 70 live rounds, while standing, kneeling and prone, at targets 25m to 300m away.
The inaugural program received positive reviews from participants and defense experts alike, prompting the ministry to expand the initiative this year to 18 training camps at reservist bases across the country, with each camp catering to fewer than 20 reservists.
While a registration fee of NT$220 per person was required last year, there was no fee this year.
However, the training period was reduced from a full day to a half day, said Wang Shen-yuan (王伸元), secretary-general of the Yunlin County National Defense Education Association, who took part in the program last year and on April 23 this year.
The assault rifles used for this year’s training program were older T65K2 models, and each reservist fired only 48 live rounds, all from a prone position, at targets 25m to 75m away, Wang said.
Several other reservists who took part in both programs said there was not enough rifle practice this year.
The ministry should accommodate people who need different levels of rifle practice, as not everyone has the same skills, a reservist surnamed Yang (楊) said.
Chi Yung-yun (紀東昀), a professor at Hungkuang University in Taichung who also participated in both programs, said the rifle practice should again include at least three different shooting positions to make it “more realistic and practical.”
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the ministry should gradually increase the number of rounds used in reservist training programs.
Taiwan could learn from Lithuania, which established privately run shooting ranges that were backed by the military around the country, Su said.
Asked about the changes to this year’s training program, Han Gan-ming (韓岡明), a retired one-star general and former head of the ministry’s All-out Defense Mobilization Agency, said that shooting 48 live rounds over a four-hour period is enough of a refresher if done on an annual basis.
Han, who is also a member of the institute, said that in light of Taiwan’s strict gun control regulations, it might be more feasible for local governments to establish shooting range simulators for reservists and other members of the public to familiarize themselves with rifles.
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