A Growing Paramilitary Group in Taiwan

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A paramilitary organization is forming in Taiwan, in response to Chinese threats at invading the Island. Taiwan citizens fed up with the military’s lack of professionalism, ineptitude and general dismissal of China’s threats and have created a paramilitary grassroots organization to promote the revolution in military affairs.
The Taiwan Military and Police Tactical Research and Development Association (TTRDA) should not be confused with “radical” patriotic American militia, but instead with a paramilitary option to urge MND (ministry of national defense) to maintain combat readiness in Taiwan, according to national interest.org.
Unprecedented in Taiwan’s post-nationalist history—these are not “guerrillas” planning to continue the fight after an invasion, but, instead, consider themselves “first responders” to a crisis.
Made up of a mix of former, reserve and active-duty special operations soldiers, current members of Taiwan’s SWAT police units, and those with special skills, the organization was created in 2015 as a non-governmental organization.
It is an invitation-only organization where members are invited based on their skill level. At present, there are about one hundred instructors with eight board members and chairman. Once a year, the board has a full member conference to report their progress over the past year, followed by elections.
Training takes place at a civilian-owned facility where the TTRDA set up an adjacent classroom facility for course study on everything from combat medicine to ambush tactics. The classes are available to the general public.
There have been interactions with retired U.S. military special operations veterans who have visited the facility at TTRDA’s invitation.
Live fire is difficult in Taiwan due to strict gun laws, but some are members of the Taiwan Shooting Sports Association-Ding Fwu and the Chinese Taipei Shooting Association.
The organization has embarrassed high-level military officers of Taiwan’s special operation forces with what has been described as better equipment and training, though active duty members of the TTRDA are enthusiastic about the training opportunity.
Though members of the various special operations units—Army Rangers, Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance Patrol, Army Frogmen (101 ARB), and Liang Shan Special Operations Company—have received some training at U.S. special operation facilities and with the former Black Water company, they often return to confront cold shoulders by army officers who see them as threats and drum many of them out of the service.