His training is hellish, as much as they call it the ‘way to heaven’. Taiwanese soldiers are subjected to harsh exercises, and they literally leave their skin, to become part of the elite body. With their hands behind their backs, they crawl upside down along a path littered with sharp rocks and coral. As if that were not enough, they also have to do somersaults.
Similarly, they must crawl supporting the weight of a partner who grabs them by the neck. At the end of those eternal 100 meters, they achieve their dream: become members of the Taiwan Army Patrol and Reconnaissance unit after 70 days of hard training. Intense days in which they have to spend hours and hours under water with full equipment.
“I can’t feel anything right now,” one of the applicants says. They must withstand low temperatures and very very little rest. Because, after five minutes of nodding out in the open, they continue with their exercises. In this way the government of Taiwan look for the perfect soldiers, ready in case of a war against China.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
