The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), introduced by the Ministry of National Defense, recently received much criticism on the letters pages of local newspapers.
Some readers wrote that the ROTC should be abolished, saying that the overall training environment and hours of ROTC officers are inferior to those of regular officers from public military academies, making it difficult for the training corps graduates to adapt to being in the military or to be promoted.
Other readers wrote that by following the example of the Nanya Institute of Technology — which in 2018 founded the country’s only ROTC military academy in Taoyuan — a private military academy should also be established by a college in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan.
I am glad that the public is concerned about national defense and that many are willing to discuss the pros and cons of the ROTC. I have also met or worked with many ROTC officers in the military, so I would like to share some thoughts.
First, ROTC officers can contribute to reform and innovation in the military’s organizational culture. Given that such officers study, live and receive military training at a private college, their approaches and perspectives are often different from those of students who live 24 hours a day under centralized management at regular military academies. This certainly affects military leadership and organizational practice.
ROTC officers can help make adjustments to the conservative and stereotypical practices that are projected by the military’s regulations and orders. ROTC cadres and troops are willing to change gradually while breaking rigid command styles and stern management.
The inclusion of ROTC graduates has the potential to reform the military organizational culture and enhance its efficiency. It cannot be done overnight, but is a work in progress.
Next, high-ranking officials must stop perceiving officers from regular military academies as having more legitimacy than ROTC graduates. There is no difference between them in quality or so-called legitimacy. The key lies in their personal characteristics as well as willingness to give their best to the military.
Those who are willing to contribute can “learn by doing, do by learning,” and ability becomes strong as experience is accumulated in command coordination, leadership, management and administrative integration.
This is certainly not something that can only be achieved by officers from regular military academies. Officers from past special programs and the junior college of the ROTC Military Academy, professional officers, specialty officers, reserve officers and even ROTC officers can also do the job and do it well. The military must first reach such a consensus.
It can be seen from the background of students at the National Defense University’s (NDU) War College or Army, Naval and Air Force Command and Staff Colleges, which are responsible for military officers’ advanced education, that all students who meet the requirements for admission are above standard and with great experience.
When I was teaching at NDU, my students included middle and high-ranking cadres from several officer training systems. Even some of Taiwan’s general officers have risen from alternative officer training systems.
Irrespective of a person’s position or origin, as long as they are committed wholeheartedly to the nation, have an aptitude for the military, and are always willing to learn, they are sure to rise to prominence in the military.
Chang Ling-ling is a retired colonel in the armed forces reserves.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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