Taiwan to launch refresher training for former servicewomen in 2023
ROC Central News Agency
12/28/2022 09:36 PM
Taipei, Dec. 28 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) plans to hold platoon-level trials of refresher training for former servicewomen across Taiwan in 2023, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said on Wednesday.
Chiu made the remarks when asked by New Power Party (NPP) Chairwoman Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) and NPP Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) about the possibility of former servicewomen receiving refresher training just as their male counterparts.
The defense minister was visiting the offices of opposition legislative caucuses with MND officials to learn about lawmakers' opinions on the government's announcement to lengthen the conscription from four months to one year starting in 2024.
While many former servicewomen have expressed an interest in participating in military refresher programs, the MND currently has no way of including them in its all-male programs, Chiu said.
However, Chiu said that the ministry was preparing a military refresher training program for former servicewomen, which is expected to launch in 2023.
According to Chiu, the ministry will organize platoon-sized trial runs of the program in northern, central, and southern parts of the country.
Chiu added that if the pilot program was successful, it could be expanded to the size of a company or larger from 2024 onwards.
Asked by reporters to what camps former servicewomen would be assigned for the training, Chiu said that would depend on which unit they served in.
"If they served in combat arms, they could be assigned to combat arms," Chiu said.
The program would be reviewed regularly and continually improved, Chiu said.
(By Wang Yang-yu and Sean Lin)
Enditem/ASG
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