Starting Monday, university students can now apply to use the two summer vacations of the following years to complete four months of military service.
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How do university students usually like to spend their summer vacations? Some like to enjoy doing nothing, while others do part-time jobs or travel. There are several ways to spend your summertime, but now there is another choice available.
Taiwan has opened an option for students to serve their compulsory army term of four months. The official website of the Interior Ministry’s Conscription Administration Department opened registration on Monday at 10 a.m. to all male college students born between the years of 1994 to 2004. There are a total of 1,600 spots open and as of 11 a.m., the number of sign-ups reached nearly half.
One student says that if he can complete the 4-month compulsory period in two summers, he can focus on pursuing further studies or look for a job right after graduation.
In 2024, the compulsory service will recruit more than 9,000 soldiers, mainly organized in garrison units rather than combat troops. Many wonder whether future compulsory service recruits will see combat. Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) explains that in the case of emergency, only volunteer and newly retired soldiers will be mobilized.
With compulsory service numbers increasing due to the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, recruits are left wondering what kind of training they will receive.