
First cohort of 1-year conscripts to start Jan. 25
New details are out on the training program for one-year conscripts. This year, 9,127 conscripts will serve in 12 cohorts, the first of which will start on Jan. 25. Their basic training will last eight weeks and will be divided into four stages. Officials say the new regime will be more demanding than before.
Taiwan has extended conscription from four months to one year. The first cohort of conscripts starts Jan. 25. The defense ministry has released new details on their training.
This year, 9,127 conscripts will be called up in 12 cohorts. Among them, 7,514 will serve in the Army. The eight-week basic training is divided into four stages, starting with basic fitness training. The second stage includes rifle shooting, mechanical training on pistols and machine guns, and basic combat training. The third stage will focus on advanced rifle shooting skills, combined combat training, battlefield simulations, and nighttime shooting. The final stage features a final assessment of physical combat skills and marksmanship, along with a comprehensive three-day combat exercise.
Chen Chien-yi
Army Command Headquarters
After they complete the basic training, they are assigned to different units. When the conscripts are sent for training in these units, we take into account their skills and strengths. They will still have to undergo training at the stations and bases, and participate in a major year-end training course. They are assigned to different positions based on their fields of expertise outside the military, so they can contribute the things they have learned. That way, in the military, they will be part of a team that makes use of the relevant skills.
Each conscript will receive his own first aid kit and combat gear. Their training will be more demanding than before, the ministry says.
Liu Shen-mo
Military Training Division
In the basic training assessment, we focus on core skills. If they fail combat training and weapons training, they have to stay behind for another week and sit the test again. If they fail again, they won’t be issued a certificate of completion at the end. During the retest week, their peers will have already moved on to different units. So after the individuals undergo the extra training and resit the exam, the relevant units will be notified to take them in.
One-year conscription has made its return. The government hopes it will strengthen Taiwan’s ability to respond to incidents in the Taiwan Strait.
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2024-01-16