The Defense Ministry says future military conscripts in Taiwan will focus on civil defense training. Taiwan will be reorganizing its military forces as it prepares to resume a one-year mandatory conscription for all men born on or after January 1, 2005.
The ministry says the military will be reorganized into four sectors: the main combat force, garrison force, national civil defense system, and reserve force. The main combat force will be entirely professional soldiers while the garrison force will consist of conscripts who are completing their mandatory military service.
Defense officer Deng Ke-hsiung (鄧克雄) says conscripts will be trained in general civil defense skills which include disaster relief, search and rescue, and first aid.
The national civil defense system will include the police force and civil defense teams made up of conscripts doing alternative service. They will work to support the military and be trained to rescue disaster victims and protect civil society. The ministry will also continue strengthening the training of its reservists.