Since the Air Force F-16V fighter mishap, the pilot’s comrades have resolutely carried out their search and rescue missions. At the same time, officers and men in the air, out at sea, or stationed on mountain tops and sea coasts have continued to stand at their posts. Every serviceperson knows that there are risks to maintaining combat readiness. They accept and face those risks head-on because defending the nation is what they do every day and the core mission of the Armed Forces.
Accepting the Risks and Making the Sacrifice
Many people in Taiwan have left supportive messages for the Air Force on Facebook. They also gained a deeper appreciation of the tremendous risks borne by the Armed Forces and the spirit of sacrifice and dedication. The Air Force has now launched the “Tian-an No.1” special inspection with all F-16 fighters temporarily grounded from training and operational missions. Despite the impact on flight training operations, the Air Force’s commitment to defending our airspace and homeland remains unchanged. Protecting the peace and security of Taiwan Strait will always be our mission.
Air Force pilots are not easy to train. To progress from basic flight training to the piloting of fighters in defense of the air, a rigorous selection process ensures that pilots can handle the stress and respond to the unexpected under high-pressure conditions. Only a select few ultimately make the cut to fly through the skies.
Pilots know that their missions will often entail making life-and-death decisions, but they forge on despite the risks. Quite often, they hear of or personally experience the loss of a comrade during the training pipeline or operational missions. It is a heart-breaking lesson for the pilots, but they always manage to confront and overcome that grief. By continuing to take to the skies again and again, they commemorate their lost comrades, fulfill the promise they made to themselves, and carry on the mission of protecting our national airspace.
Keeping the Peace in the Taiwan Strait
The PLA has continued to apply military pressure to Taiwan in recent years. Such harassment included frequent incursions into Taiwan’s ADIZ by military aircraft and provocative approaches by warships. The Armed Forces remain ever vigilant by always doing its best to prepare for the best. In accordance with the spirit of “eternal vigilance”, the Armed Forces treats every area as a potential battleground and maintains its combat readiness through constant training to ensure that it is ready to defend our homeland.
“Pick yourself up from where you fell.” The Armed Forces will learn from the experience of the latest mishap, but its commitment to combat readiness remains unshaken. The core mission of the Armed Forces is to defend the nation. Its officers and men will continue to carry out demanding, tough, advanced and realistic combat readiness training on mountain tops and sea coasts. As the nation's shield, they will shoulder the responsibility for protecting the people of Taiwan and keeping the peace in Taiwan Strait.
Source: Youth Daily New