Taiwan’s four-month mandatory military service is set to be restored to one year starting in 2024. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited Taichung’s Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Thursday to assess the preparedness for incoming recruits and their training. Tsai says that facing the complexities of the international landscape and geopolitical shifts, adjustments to the mandatory service period are necessary for national security and protecting democracy.
Tsai added that the Defense Ministry has revised the existing training course for compulsory service members. The revamped training course will strengthen tactical combat casualty care, rapid reaction shooting, and tactical marches. It will also include ‘shock’ training which involves using smoke and the sounds of explosions to improve psychological resilience among enlisted service members. These changes will make training more closely resemble actual combat.
Tsai says the government's aim is to equip all compulsory service members with the necessary skills to perform garrison and civil defense duties and to encourage the belief that “one should protect one’s own country”.