TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Taiwan's female reservists began their 5-day training exercise on Tuesday (May 9) by simulating an attack from enemy forces.
The group, consisting of 5 sergeants and nine soldiers, reported to Taoyuan's Bade military site a day prior and were required to complete the same training as their male counterparts.
Without delay, the reservists set out on a 5-km trek at 8 am on Tuesday, fully equipped with their gear.
Tang Mi, a female reservist honorably discharged in 2020, remarked that the return to training is for better preparation to protect the country and the families in Taiwan.
"Although the reservist training is much more condensed, the curriculum is still not as intense as it was when I was in the military," she added.
While the training curriculum remains the same for all reservists, there are significant differences in the accommodations provided to female reservists.
For example, their dormitories have boarded-up windows for privacy, security checkpoints, and 24/7 surveillance to ensure safety.
This is the first time Taiwan has called for female reservist training, following the military's recruitment of female soldiers for voluntary service in 2006.
On the second day of training, reservists practiced occupying key terrain points and responding to enemy aircraft fire.
Throughout the course, soldiers are expected to familiarize themselves with the battlefield environment, understand their mission, and enhance their combat capabilities.
According to the Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Sun Li-fang, the training is essential in demonstrating Taiwan's defense capabilities and determination to protect the land.
