Visa runs are out of the questions I’m afraid. Too broke to do that.
I’ve always wondered. Are phone allowed? Are there any holidays or is it a solid ‘don’t see the outside world’ regime? No computers I presume?
Technically, cell phones, especially camera phones are not allowed, and ones used in the base have to be registered because it’s so easy to pass secrets on with it. However in practice in your unit nearly everyone has one, especially camera phones. It depends on your chop and level of respect however. If you’re a rookie then don’t break the rule but as you gain seniority, you get away with more “infractions”.
There are two holidays per week, and when you are in bootcamp they are stacked into a week of holiday (so you do not have holidays during boot camp). The boot camp itself is only one month though (which in my opinion isn’t enough time to get any serious training done). You can lose your holidays from infractions however, and also there are a lot of times where you don’t get your leave because of mission critical stuff, in that case your holidays are accumulated and you’d take them later on. They have to either give you all that holiday back before your discharge or take it away through infractions (if you have any).
You will also need to open a bank account at the post office because your pay is sent to an account there. It may sound weird to most Americans but the post office in Taiwan does banking… just like Germany.
Thanks for the info. Recommending all your posts
Is there a website that I can go to, to find some more mundane information such as;
- The current duration of service
- Physical health requirements
- Overseas Chinese status conscript options
I have moderate color blindness, Diploplia, flat feet and knocked knees. Will they reject me?
Flat feet is a no-no. really. Seriously. But alternative service is no walk in the park.
Currently it’s about 10 months, it was drastically reduced a few years after I finished my service.
As for physical health requirement, are you kidding? You have to serve unless you (or the physician) finds/proves that you have disqualifying health problems.
As for overseas chinese you can either do visa runs or there are other services that lasts only a week. Overseas Chinese means those with a foreign passport in addition to the ROC one by the way… so I had to do the regular service because I wasn’t legally a “overseas chinese”.
And what is this alternative service? Is it a shorter service time or the one that you get posted to do some other task i.e English teacher and service of the sorts. What’s the duration on that any idea?
Can I just go to my local clinic and ask them to run an ‘Army’ requirement test to determine whether or not they will reject me?
I actually want to be able to go if I get called up, unlike the guy in the OP. I believe in all that Jazz about Army turning you into a real man so.
Yeah I’ve got both Indian & Taiwan passports. I believe I HAVE to drop the Indian one after completing the army though.
TYIA
I’m not sure. Seems what they look for is BMI. If it’s over or under a certain amount then you’re exempt from military, as well as various disabling diseases… there’s way too many to list and it’s often up to you to prove that you have these diseases, because they obviously don’t want people dodging draft.
Doesn’t this eliminate about half of the Taiwanese population?
As a civilian reservist, I thought I’d chip in with some input to Northcoast Surfer’s questions:
- Yes, I saw the video- laughed and shook my head in amusement.
- Yes, I believe that the young man is fearful of his own life, but I don’t think that there is a clear and present danger to his life not in this day and age.
- Yes, there is bullying, but not to the extent that there is cause to prefer jail- ironically, jail is run like a rigid military unit and even harder with all the real tough guys as your cell mates. A fellow conscript who did time in jail breezed through boot camp because he had done it all before.
- Yes, we were hazed as new conscripts when we were sent to our units for the first time (Matsu). Everyone was equally messed with, some more than others depending on their level of (in)subordination. No physical beatings to report though, but certainly plenty of orders of tasks to wear you down physically.
- Quite likely the boy brought undue attention to himself and is suffering the consequences of that. Probably also a case of culture shock as well because of the Confucian ethos that permeates Taiwan society- i.e. the boy didn’t give the seniors their dues first, and behaved how a junior is expected to.
- Yes. However, I think the boy might need some professional help for his condition. His inability to recognize the public inconvenience he has created in blocking the escalator with his antics in the video reveals something about his state of mind.
-I did what everyone else did and found time to help others when I could- especially since I was often the recipient of favours by fellow conscripts. Often, I had to work harder and longer to keep up and finish my tasks.
-I was friendly with everyone and lowered my self-esteem since I was a potential target of hostility- Overseas Taiwanese & with a Masters degree. Having poor Chinese ability and being higher educated than most can be potentially a magnet for abuse. Being affable lessened their ire at me when I let them down.
-Being able to speak Taiwanese was an asset to fraternize.
-Having done my university and masters in Taiwan, I understood the Confucian cultural social framework in Taiwan, i.e. I knew when to kiss ass or when to bend over and take it.
-I mostly took all the verbal abuse in my stride and regarded the power-trippers for what they were. Karma is a bitch- no wonder there is little respect in Taiwan for professional soldiers/officers. As a civilian and taxpayer, I have little esteem for many of the officers I met and would probably regard them with the same disdain if we were to meet again.
-Packet of MM’s- the chocolate gave me a much needed sugar boost when things were bad in the first month at my new unit.
-My parents paid me a visit in Matsu (a provision only for those serving in the outer islands) and it sent a signal to the CO’s that I was vouched for. They also brought a complimentary box of fruit for my company- a rare luxury that was highly appreciated by everyone.
-On the sports field, rank and seniority seemed to matter much less. Being athletic, I was good at softball and I was given the knickname “洋將” (foreign player). I was 4th at bat, cleanup batter, and my abilities were highly appreciated by my CO’s and seniors for helping them win all our games. After our first game in the 2nd week, I noticed a difference in hostility in the gazes of my seniors when they learned I could hit the ball very hard. My services as batsman were often requested by my officers to help them win games they were betting on and on occasion had to return prematurely from leave to satisfy their whims. As for basketball, my rugby experience allowed me to play a naturally very physical game. That often annoyed some people- but they deferred from any physical altercation after knowing I was able to meet up to the challenge.
-Our comrade (same T) had a father who was a 3 star general (Commander of the Coast Guard) and our company and battalion was constantly subjected to visits from high ranking officers inquiring after him. It sure kept our CO’s on their toes.
-After 3/4’s into my service, a family member who was ex-military voluntarily asked his ex-colleague posted in Matsu (a 1 star General- the Political Warfare Commander) to check in on me. That came as a shock me since my relative made this request on his own accord- I thought I f***ed up big time when a car was sent to pick me up. On returning to base after my visit to the general, I asked if I could bring back some of the uneaten snacks for my mates to spread the goodwill and lessen the peer envy. Our Political Warfare Officer, a control freak who gave us grief for a period of time, decided to ease off for a while with new knowledge of the fact that I had some connections.
-I was seconded on assignment twice to the Head of Command (3 star general) for my English services to a presentation to the visiting AIT (American Institute in Taipei) and tour guide. Our unit and CO was given some credit for my services, I was rewarded with 6 days of “honorary” leave in total. Any credit to your unit raises your standing.
-Finally, my father’s good friend, who had been posted overseas, now a 3 star general, gave me his personal cell number and card for reference in case I ever needed his help. I never used the number, but it was good to know that I had someone to call if things went bad.
I don’t know the lad so I can only offer some conjecture:
-He probably has difficulty making friends or nobody wants to be his friend.
-He probably puts his “rights” first before his unit.
-He has probably heard too many “scare-stories” about the military experience that is playing on his mind.
-He probably has issues with his dad because they can’t have a proper conversation about his ordeal.
-or He probably has issues because he can’t have a proper conversation or has a mis-perception of his reality.
-The lad’s unit is probably located on the outer islands (Kinmen, Matsu, etc), his uniform in public should indicate this. Units located in Taiwan often go on leave and return to base in civvies (with a cap on their heads to cover their awful haircuts). Soldiers serving in the outer islands leave and return to base in uniform. 14 days of leave in Taiwan for soldiers on the outer islands can also make them very reluctant to return to base.
-Units on outer islands frequently have discipline issues being far from the chain of command that often results in higher frequency of neglect to new recruits. This is easily rectified with proper attention paid to the unit in question. That said, the lad has probably made life even worse for himself with his appearance on the news.
- Relax, it’s not all about you. Stop taking it so personally and develop a sense of humour. Keep your wits about you and play along. Make some friends and life will become much easier. In no time you’ll be cussing like the seniors at the new recruits.
Thank you very much for replying in this thread and adding some very interesting and most informative and insightful details. 
However, you might not have heard that this boy’s MRT escalator antics and subsequent Youtube video was successful in allowing him to voluntarily resign from his duty. :no-no:
For me, this is a huge problem. The boy lied down on the escalators, kicking and having a tantrum like a child, and now the Taiwan government has re-inforced the idea that anyone can get out of anything they don’t wish to do by acting in the same fashion. If they were interested in “fixing” the issues, there would have been a huge investigation and any people found guilty of bullying would have been punished severely and he would have been required to finish out his duties. 
[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]@Kungwan2000
Thank you very much for replying in this thread and adding some very interesting and most informative and insightful details.
However, you might not have heard that this boy’s MRT escalator antics and subsequent Youtube video was successful in allowing him to voluntarily resign from his duty. :no-no:
For me, this is a huge problem. The boy lied down on the escalators, kicking and having a tantrum like a child, and now the Taiwan government has re-inforced the idea that anyone can get out of anything they don’t wish to do by acting in the same fashion. If they were interested in “fixing” the issues, there would have been a huge investigation and any people found guilty of bullying would have been punished severely and he would have been required to finish out his duties. [/quote]
@Northcoast Surfer- No problem, I’m always glad to provide some input. But allow me also to offer a different perspective in valuing the outcome of the lad’s antics? I believe the assessment made by the MOD is correct in allowing the lad to voluntarily resign.
If I were his CO or his comrade, I would rather not have him around- especially during military exercises with guns and equipment about. For me, I believe that his mental state, revealed in the video, is evidence enough that he is not fit for national duty. In fact, I think everyone is better off without him since returning to barracks would have resulted in further deterioration of his mental condition. He is better off seeking professional help for his problems at his own expense rather than the taxpayers’ and the poor corporals that would’ve been assigned to nanny him 24/7. Everyone can now collectively sigh in relief that he won’t be around. :discodance:
[color=#0000FF]Case in point:[/color] I was originally assigned to quartermaster duties, responsible for the company arsenal at my unit, given that my info showed I had an advanced degree and a clean background. But upon realization that my Mandarin was not up to scratch, it was decided it was in the company’s best interests that I did not handle firearms [color=#FF0000]for their safety and mine[/color]. This was fine by me since I preferred to comfortably remain as far from lethal weapons as possible. I was subsequently transferred to clerk duties as mailman.
In the end, the lad only embarrassed himself:
-Youtube has immortalised him as a spineless whinger that Taiwan media outlets will recall at their pleasure (forever 
)
-he will have a “免役” stamped on his ID that would probably raise questions at his place of employment in Taiwan if he decides to remain there. Some companies still regard the completion of military service as an indicator of prospective employee health.
-His unit will have a new story to tell to pass on for their own amusement and for generations to come :roflmao:
-his poor dad will have a tough time explaining to relatives and friends about his son’s “dishonourable discharge” 
-if the lad decides to boast about his “clever plan” in getting off his service, the rest of us will smile and think/know that he is a w*nker 
Besides, I don’t think he’ll behave any differently out in civilian society, who will certainly reprimand him for any antics.
-if he has a Taiwanese girlfriend that he is going to marry, his prospective in-laws won’t be too impressed at the circumstances of his discharge. :ohreally: (for me it was a huge plus to my in-laws, who are also frequent travelers in and out of TW, that I had completed my service)
Karma still wins in the end. Just my
wheres the vid of him blocking the elevator?
NVM. i didnt notice the vid on the first page was at an escalator.
haha
This makes for grim reading…
Interesting development on this case…
There are rumor that this overseas boy is related to Jolin… (you know that female pop singer that sounds more like fingernail scraping the chalkboard)…
Jolin’s dad’s sister’s kid is what the news said today. Ironically they called him a “language genius” (I guess polyglot would be a good translation) for being able to speak Spanish, Russian, English, Korean, and Japanese and a few others… but the interview was done in English because his Chinese is terrible. He has a very strange accent when he speaks English and claims have to written “a dozen” books. His name is Derick Lin, and his father is just as cooky seeming as he is.
For the record, Jolin’s agent denies that they are related. Good call.
He made a living whining.
Look at the book reviews of his book.
books.google.com/books/about/Tig … 6uuAAACAAJ
The whole thing may be a set up.
[quote=“jmcd”]He made a living whining.
Look at the book reviews of his book.
books.google.com/books/about/Tig … 6uuAAACAAJ
The whole thing may be a set up.[/quote]
So I guess the difference is knowing someone famous huh?
I lived under similar conditions and I didn’t know I could write a book whining about it.
I would just like to mention that there may be nothing fundamentally wrong with this chap at all. He simply hated to do military service and who doesn’t? The people who want to do military service are the mad ones.
That he is a spoiled brat or a media whore or a whiner is simply irrelevant.
[quote=“headhonchoII”]I would just like to mention that there may be nothing fundamentally wrong with this chap at all. He simply hated to do military service and who doesn’t? The people who want to do military service are the mad ones.
That he is a spoiled brat or a media whore or a whiner is simply irrelevant.[/quote]
Yes, there is. He volunteered for a commitment and he cried like a baby when he realized that it wasn’t going to be fun.
I see this as fairly common behaviour in society, just taken to a bit of an extreme in the video clip.