DEFENSE/Taiwanese military sending more gear to units amid complaint

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) The Taiwanese military said on Tuesday that it has been distributing military equipment and armaments to local field units following a complaint by a group of military officers that they lack the equipment and human resources needed to train one-year conscripts.

Taiwan reinstated year-long military service this January to meet the rising threat posed by China.

The first group of 3,500 conscripts serving have already completed weeks of boot camps and been assigned to field units to undergo required specialty training, the Chinese-language United Daily News (UDN) reported earlier Tuesday.

These 13 weeks of training will begin in September, according to the report.

However, at least four military officers from field units said they do not have enough communication equipment, armored vehicles and fire trucks. These were all required for their units to pass the necessary exams to complete compulsory training, UDN reported.

There were also not enough military officers to run the training sessions, it said.

These servicepersons have tried to complain to the Ministry of National Defense (MND) but the issue remained unresolved, leading to their decision to take the issue to lawmakers, the UDN report said.

In response, the MND said on Tuesday that the military has been allocating equipment and human resources to meet the needs of field units in upcoming training sessions.

The Army Command Headquarters has also been allocating funds to ensure enough equipment in the years ahead, the MND added.

Compulsory military service in Taiwan was upped to one year from four months effective Jan. 1, 2024. The measure applies to conscripts born on or after Jan. 1, 2005.

The MND previously said it expects to enroll 9,127 conscripts in compulsory military service this year.

Taiwan's military is currently a mainly volunteer force, with conscripts serving in a supporting role.