Career planning and family factors are among the four main reasons cited by volunteer soldiers in applications to be ruled “unfit for service,” the Ministry of National Defense said.
Some of Taiwan’s combat units have fallen below 80 percent of staff as early retirements and discharges increase within the ranks.
The most cited reason was career planning, followed by difficulty adapting to military life, family issues, and health or injury, the ministry said in a report to the Legislative Yuan.
Photo: CNA
As the armed forces have a wide range of responsibilities, from defense to disaster relief, more personnel are not renewing their contracts, the report said.
From January to October last year, 4,172 officers and soldiers were discharged for being unfit, it said.
Career planning accounted for 52.2 percent of early discharges, as applicants cited a diversity of job choices, the possibility of better salaries and more freedom as reasons for leaving, it said.
Meanwhile, difficulty in adapting to military life accounted for 27.1 percent, it said.
Some people who enter the military directly after graduating might find it difficult to adapt to the routine, such as night sentry duty or being unable to take expected vacation time, which makes them prone to more stress, the report said.
Family factors accounted for 16.9 percent of the total, with respondents citing issues such as raising children, caring for elderly family members or managing a family business, the report said.
It said that 3.3 percent cited health problems, while “other reasons,” such as a mismatch in expectations, accounted for 0.5 percent.
The retention rate of military personnel last year was 78 percent for officers and 74 percent among enlisted personnel, the ministry said.
Officers, due to higher salaries and having undergone comprehensive training, usually have lower attrition rates compared with enlisted personnel, it added.
A rise in private-sector wages due to a shortage of workers has also lowered willingness among members of the public to volunteer for military service, the ministry said.
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