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President reminds military school graduates of mission

ROC Central News Agency

2016/07/04 15:26:31

Kaohsiung, July 4 (CNA) In a speech at their graduation ceremony, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) encouraged military school graduates Monday to fully devote themselves in any post to which they are assigned and to behave honorably.

Tsai said to the 965 graduates of the five military academies that it is a great achievement for them to have finished their studies, since over 20 percent of the students enrolled in their years did not make it.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Republic of China Military Academy in Kaohsiung for that school and four others -- the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, the University of National Defense and the National Defense Medical Center.

While the graduates will serve in different units, Tsai reminded them of the military schools' tradition that all military personnel are like a big family and are siblings to each other.

The different military branches and units may have their own areas of expertise, but they all work together for the same mission -- "to fight for the survival and development of the Republic of China and for the welfare of the people living in Taiwan proper, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu," she added.

The top priority of the military, the president said, is to keep Taiwanese people safe, which means standing on the front line when tension arises and being the first to respond when disasters happen.

When the military stands up for the people in their training and combat missions and in rescue and relief work, it earns respect and honor, she said.

Tsai's remarks, including a promise of military reforms, came in the wake of two recent incidents that sparked heavy criticism of Taiwan's military.

The first incident, which occurred in late June, involved a group of soldiers who posted a video online of them torturing a dog to death.

Before the furor over that incident had died down, a naval corvette at a military base in Kaohsiung accidentally fired a missile into the Taiwan Strait July 1, causing the death of a fisherman and injuring three others on a fishing boat that was hit by the missile.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Kay Liu)
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