TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—A female military officer shined on the third day of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang drills on Thursday as she led a tank platoon to engage in a life-fire anti-landing drill on Taiwan’s outlying island of Kinmen.
Ho Wen-qian (何玟蒨), the first female officer in the tank force of the Kinmen Defense Command, participated in the anti-landing drill at the beach on Liaolo Bay. The drill simulated making a counterattack on the enemy’s amphibious landing. Upon receiving an order to make an immediate counterattack, the defense command's tank battalion set out to fire with quick action and imposing manner.
Ho, who is from Taichung City, was leading her tank platoon in the drill with composure and coordinated well with her comrades, reports said.
During Thursday’s drill, several battlefield scenarios were simulated, including close contact with the enemy, passing through narrow passages, encountering attacks from enemy armed helicopters, and charging, in order to test the country’s tank force and its fighting capability, reports said.
Ho, who has been stationed in Kinmen nearly one year, said that after the drills, she has become more aware of the mission and importance of being a commanding officer.
After Thursday's drill, Ho told reporters that her admiration of military life took root after she watched some military education video during her childhood. She passed the test and entered the Military Academy after graduating from high school, she said, adding that she especially chose the armored forces department to challenge herself because no female cadets before her had picked the same department.
She said females' strength and stamina are naturally inferior to males', so at the beginning the physical training really took a toll on her. However, after training at the Armor School and training by herself, she was up to standard, she said, adding that even though the process was so arduous, she had neither shed a tear nor thought about giving up.
(Photo by CNA)
(Photo from 何玟蒨 Facebook)
