According to reports, on Monday, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, said that if elected president, he would return the compulsory military service period to four months.
I am disappointed with the younger generation who find the prospect of military service so distasteful. Is making a commitment for a whole year such a terrible thing to ask? Does it really take courage to do so?
To be honest, four months of conscription is a waste of young people’s time, because they still would not be able to hold a gun correctly by the end of their time in the army. They might as well have not bothered to go at all.
Given that Taiwanese get to enjoy the benefits the state provides, it is only right that those eligible for military service do their duty. The government reinstated mandatory military service to one year only after careful consideration, due to the increase in cross-strait tensions and the necessity of developing all-out defense. The skills a soldier needs to cultivate, from the experience of live ammunition training and familiarity of combat skills to the required knowledge, concepts and mental toughness to fight in a war do not develop overnight.
With necessity comes opportunity. Meaningful military service provides a great opportunity for young people to train their physical strength, even though the training might become more arduous due to its extension to a full year. Strong of body and strong of mind, make the person more mature, tolerant, patient and determined. Furthermore, having a strong body can be a real asset when looking for a job later on.
It is common knowledge how time spent in the armed forces can test, hone and bring out a young person’s character. It is ridiculous that many politicians are trying to curry favor with young people to get their votes while at the same time robbing them of self-growth opportunities to fulfill their potential.
Today, I still sit around with my friends remembering the old times, talking about our unforgettable experiences in the military. As the saying goes, “I would not serve in the army again, not if you paid me a million dollars; but I would not want to lose those memories, either, not even for a million dollars.” If young people go into military service with the right attitude, it can be a life-changing experience for them.
Dino Wei is an information engineer in Yilan County.
Translated by Polly Chiu
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