|
With changes in the warfare being influenced by information technology, modern warfare is driven heavily by technology. The nature of wars has transitioned from “troop density-focused” to “technology and knowledge-focused” in response to the need for high quality, professional, and long service period military personnel to operate high-tech army equipment. This is to achieve the concept of “low quantity, high quality, and strong combat power” in modern warfare. Taiwan has implemented a voluntary military service recruitment system since January 1, 2018. Apart from the unsuccessful attempts to recruit enough soldiers into the Sergeant major of two-year junior college program for the army, the willingness of soldiers to transfer to non-commissioned officers is also lower than the set target value. Due to changes in strategic thinking and combat methods, the roles that the non-commissioned officers (NCOs) play in the military become increasingly important. Thus, there are underlying concerns regarding military manpower due to struggling military recruitments. It is therefore crucial to explore the factors affecting the conversion of volunteer soldiers to non-commissioned officers. A survey was conducted on volunteer soldiers from an armoured group in central Taiwan and those who have been transferred to non-commissioned officers in this study. A total of 280 questionnaires were sent out, 80 invalid questionnaires were removed, and a total of 200 valid questionnaires were obtained. The results of the study are shown as follows: 1. Increased salary range and guaranteed job stability are the two standing factors influencing the transfer of soldiers to non-commissioned officers; 2. There are four major factors that soldiers choose to not continue their service, including: Too many restrictions during enlistment with little to no freedom, already occupied with other career plans, work-life imbalances, and the inability to adjust to being in the military. The research suggests that in order to encourage more soldiers to continue their service, the grass-root level units of the national army can provide soldiers with complete career planning (including education, employment experience, licenses, employment opportunity planning, etc.) during the initial period of the service. This ensures that the soldiers are well-trained and prepared accordingly to the career plans during the service period, with responsibilities and duties gradually assigned to them. In addition, job specifications should be communicated and explained clearly to the soldiers to avoid misunderstandings during the transition to NCOs that cause them to leave the military.
Keywords: Volunteer Soldiers, Transfer to Non-Commissioned Officers, High Income, Job Stability, Career Development, Work-Life Imbalances
|