MND TO EXPERIMENT WITH ALL-VOLUNTEER ARMED FORCES
Jul 24, 2002 15:50 UTC+0800
Taipei, July 24 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense is
planning to experiment with an all-volunteer military force in a bid
to fathom the feasibility of gradually replacing draftees with
volunteers.
In its latest biennial defense report released Tuesday, the MND
said it wants to lower the percentage of conscripts to 40 percent and
gradually make volunteers the backbone of the military, with draftees
in supportive roles.
The MND reported in its 2002 defense white paper that the
ministry will experiment with the volunteer formula in a three-year
program, accepting volunteer recruits in an army motorized infantry
battalion, a marine infantry battalion and an air force guards
battalion, in order to assess the feasibility of the formula.
The idea is aimed at enabling more civilians to become active
duty military personnel in times of war and achieving an "all people
defense" goal, according to MND officials.
(By Deborah Kuo)
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