The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said that military-issued equipment and weaponry are sufficient for combat and personal protection, adding that soldiers and officers are prohibited from using personal equipment purchased elsewhere.
The ministry said that, in accordance with the Armed Forces Uniforms Act (陸海空軍服制條例) and internal management regulations, soldiers and officers must conform to the dress code for active service personnel to meet the need for identification in combat situations, as well as maintaining required standards for appearance.
The ministry issued the statement in response to media reports of complaints made by Marine Corps commander Lieutenant Colonel Hsu Cheng-yi (許誠宜), who said military-issued equipment and weaponry are not to his satisfaction in terms of protection and performance, leading him to spend NT$130,000 on accoutrements and other upgrades to improve his field combat wear and equipment.
Hsu, a Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit squadron commander, also posted pictures on Facebook of his accessorized T91 assault rifle, which had been augmented with a 3X telescopic sight and a forward grip, a US-made combat helmet, a bulletproof flak jacket and a Safariland 6004 tactical handgun holster.
Hsu said the pictures were taken when leading his squadron on field combat drills during the Han Kuang military exercises (漢光演習) earlier this month.
Hsu said that he spent his own money on the equipment to match the standards of amphibious reconnaissance counterparts in the US Marines, which he had trained with at US bases in the past.
“As military-issued equipment and weaponry does not meet expectations in terms of quality or performance, as the commanding officer of my unit, I wanted to set a good example by upgrading my equipment,” Hsu wrote on Facebook. “I hope the soldiers in my unit are dedicated fighting men like me, who are willing to invest in themselves.”
He also criticized military officials for focusing on troops’ dress code and visual appearance, saying they should consider providing soldiers with equipment and weaponry.
The ministry said in its statement that programs are already in place to replace old and outdated equipment in all branches of the armed forces, adding that its goal is to upgrade equipment and weaponry so that it is on a par with the US and other advanced nations.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
A BETRAYAL? It is none of the ministry’s business if those entertainers love China, but ‘you cannot agree to wipe out your own country,’ the MAC minister said Taiwanese entertainers in China would have their Taiwanese citizenship revoked if they are holding Chinese citizenship, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said. Several Taiwanese entertainers, including Patty Hou (侯佩岑) and Ouyang Nana (歐陽娜娜), earlier this month on their Weibo (微博) accounts shared a picture saying that Taiwan would be “returned” to China, with tags such as “Taiwan, Province of China” or “Adhere to the ‘one China’ principle.” The MAC would investigate whether those Taiwanese entertainers have Chinese IDs and added that it would revoke their Taiwanese citizenship if they did, Chiu told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper
The Chinese wife of a Taiwanese, surnamed Liu (劉), who openly advocated for China’s use of force against Taiwan, would be forcibly deported according to the law if she has not left Taiwan by Friday, National Immigration Agency (NIA) officials said yesterday. Liu, an influencer better known by her online channel name Yaya in Taiwan (亞亞在台灣), obtained permanent residency via marriage to a Taiwanese. She has been reported for allegedly repeatedly espousing pro-unification comments on her YouTube and TikTok channels, including comments supporting China’s unification with Taiwan by force and the Chinese government’s stance that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.” Liu
MINOR DISRUPTION: The outage affected check-in and security screening, while passport control was done manually and runway operations continued unaffected The main departure hall and other parts of Terminal 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport lost power on Tuesday, causing confusion among passengers before electricity was fully restored more than an hour later. The outage, the cause of which is still being investigated, began at about midday and affected parts of Terminal 2, including the check-in gates, the security screening area and some duty-free shops. Parts of the terminal immediately activated backup power sources, while others remained dark until power was restored in some of the affected areas starting at 12:23pm. Power was fully restored at 1:13pm. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a
RSS