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Hsinchu camp welcomes recruits under extended service plan
The first batch of recruits in Taiwan reported to Hsinchu County’s Litoushan Camp in Xinpu Township on Thursday (Jan. 25). The 206 Brigade’s Battalion 4 received 304 new recruits from the northern region, who will undergo an eight-week training program. The military restored its previous one-year conscription in line with the "Strengthening National Defense Force Structure Adjustment Plan." The training curriculum is divided into four stages, focusing on core values, fitness, rifle shooting, combat coaching, and weapon handling. All new soldiers underwent health screening and inspections upon arrival, including drug-sniffer dogs. Additionally, the recruits had their heads shaved after receiving their uniforms.2024/01/25 16:41 -
Young couples face trials as Taiwan extends military service
The first group of conscripts for the one-year compulsory military service in Taipei enlisted on January 25. These 670 young men will undergo an eight-week enlistment training. The extension of mandatory military service, approved by President Tsai Ing-wen last year, has posed emotional challenges for many young couples. Girlfriends accompanied their conscripted boyfriends to the Department of Compulsory Military Service’s Alternative Service Center, offering encouragement and expressing hope that military service would help their partners overcome bad habits and become more responsible. Despite the year-long separation, conscripts expressed faith in their relationships, although they couldn’t help but worry about the lack of constant communication. Various girlfriends reassured their worried boyfriends, saying, "Don’t worry!" The Ministry of National Defense stated that the decision to extend mandatory service was influenced by changing international situations, authoritarianism, defense combat needs, and the intensity of the four-month military training. It was also based on a comparative study of conscription systems in other countries.2024/01/25 14:17