Opinion by Wu Sih-Huai: Why Are Young Soldiers Leaving the Military, Even Paying Penalties?

This phenomenon constitutes a national security crisis that cannot be ignored. The Republic of China Armed Forces are facing a triple crisis of eroding confidence—military personnel no longer know what they are fighting for or whom they are serving. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) continuously stirs fears of military threats from mainland China, claims that a Taiwan Strait crisis and imminent war are upon us, conducts repeated combat readiness drills, and pushes for societal resilience. As a result, the daily training burden on volunteer soldiers has doubled, prompting many to consider early discharge. Despite significant efforts to recruit personnel, many now choose to leave the military even if it means paying breach-of-contract penalties. What the public sees is merely the tip of the iceberg. Rather than fixating on numbers or calculating compensation amounts, we must deeply examine the root causes and seek fundamental solutions.

The military faces a critical shortage of personnel, yet many service members still opt for early discharge, willingly paying penalties to exit. According to statistics from the Ministry of National Defense, between 2021 and the end of 2025 (Minguo years 110–114), a total of 6,315 personnel applied for early discharge. Of these, 4,267 incurred financial liability, with cumulative compensation totaling NT$929.17 million. Among them, three individuals are each required to pay NT$20 million.

To date, 3,817 have completed their payments, amounting to NT$341.86 million recovered. However, approximately NT$589 million remains outstanding. The highest number of early discharge applications occurred in 2024 (Minguo 113), with 1,589 applications. Of these, 1,076 were liable for compensation, totaling NT$259.558 million.

Military honor is not being respected, and morale is low. Compared to the待遇 and social status of military personnel in the United States, Japan, and Singapore, Taiwan’s military personnel face neglect. Even salary-increase bills passed by the Legislative Yuan are not being funded by the DPP government. Last year, the government announced several military-friendly policies modeled after foreign examples, but these were merely symbolic gestures with no follow-up—none have been implemented to date.

The DPP constantly shouts about preparing for war, but do the people and the military truly want war? Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” in the “Laying Plans” chapter, states: “War is a matter of vital importance to the state; a place where life and death are decided, the path to survival or destruction—must not be neglected.” He proposes evaluating five key factors: the Moral Law (Dao), Heaven, Earth, the Commander, and Method. The Moral Law means that the people and leadership share the same purpose, enabling them to face life and death without fear. This unity of purpose—do the people and the government stand as one? How much has the Lai administration achieved in this regard?

Failure to meet troop strength targets (the ratio of actual to authorized personnel) is a major factor undermining morale. Simply put, 70 personnel are expected to carry out tasks meant for 100. With only 70 handling 100-person duties, many weapons systems lack operators, and scheduled maintenance cannot be properly conducted. Workloads remain unchanged, training standards cannot be lowered, and combat readiness exercises continue to increase. Rotational rest systems are not functioning, and young soldiers, unable to endure the pressure, choose to leave. Visiting military “complaint sites” like the “Superior Officer Rant” platform might reveal some of the raw truths.

To boost recruitment numbers, entry standards have been lowered. Lower standards mean lower overall quality—recruits often lack physical fitness and stress resilience. After enlistment, the intense physical training and high-pressure drills become overwhelming. Coupled with difficulty adapting to military culture, 24-hour duty cycles, and lack of personal freedom, many young recruits simply cannot adapt and choose to leave.

*The author is a retired lieutenant general and former legislator.