While much of central Taiwan braced against relentless downpours last week, a group of soldiers was deep in the rugged terrain near Guguan, completing one of the military's most grueling special forces certifications — soaked to the bone and earning it anyway.
Storm Media reporters embedded with the unit for four days and three nights at the Army Special Operations Training Center, witnessing the final assessment of the 115-1 Assault Cadre Training Course. What they observed was a rare window into a force that most Taiwanese have never heard of — and that the military rarely acknowledges.
A Tier Between Commandos and the Regular Army
Taiwan's special operations structure is anchored by three standing commando units: the Army's Liangshan Special Service Unit, the Military Police Special Service Unit, and the Marine Corps Special Service Unit. But sitting in a distinct tier just below them is a lesser-known category of operator — the assault troop(突擊兵).
Unlike the commando units, assault troops are not a standing formation. They are drawn from regular units across the army, where they serve as small-unit leaders and tactical instructors. In the event of war, military sources say, they would be pulled from their home units and assembled into a task force — one that answers directly to the General Staff Headquarters, not to any intermediate command. That chain of command sets them apart: when the Chief of the General Staff issues orders, the assault troops move.
Modeled on the U.S. Army Ranger School, the assault cadre program is built to forge a tier of special operations leaders capable of acting independently and operating deep behind enemy lines. In a conflict scenario, their assigned targets are not heads of state — that falls to the commandos — but high-value military and political figures such as provincial party secretaries or PLA generals commanding invasion forces. As Taiwan's defense posture has shifted toward defending the island itself, their mission has evolved accordingly: retaking key infrastructure and neutralizing enemy brigade commanders after a potential amphibious landing.
One Failing Grade Means Immediate Dismissal
Earning the assault troop badge — a winged dagger flanked by three lightning bolts — requires completing 14 weeks of training followed by a ten-day, nine-night final assessment. The curriculum reads like a checklist designed to find every breaking point a soldier has: armed swimming 200 meters within ten minutes, mountain warfare, air assault, helicopter fast-rope insertion, live-fire drills, combat ambushes, and a loaded march covering 15 kilometers in 150 minutes while carrying 35 kilograms of gear. A single failed event results in immediate dismissal from the program.
The final assessment week eliminates individual events entirely. Instead, candidates are dropped into a continuous operational sequence: establish a hide site, conduct reconnaissance, hold security positions, cross difficult terrain, ford rivers under pressure, execute a night raid on a designated target, treat casualties, and return to the hide site for resupply — all in sequence, all evaluated.
This year's cohort had the additional misfortune of near-constant rain. Instructor Lt. Col. Feng Chih-wei, who leads the mountain-cold section, noted that out of the ten days of final assessment, only the first saw dry conditions. The sustained soaking caused a number of candidates to develop eczema across their backs — what began as itching eventually became a persistent, sharp pain that followed them even into sleep.
Insects Were Louder Than Their Footsteps
Storm Media reporters arrived at the night infiltration assessment at 3 a.m. The location was a mountain zone near Guguan where the trail signs read: "Warning — bear activity." Without camera lighting, the path was entirely invisible.
The candidates moved through the forest in full kit — 40-kilogram packs, TS96 binocular monocular night vision devices, infrared weapon lights — stepping over undergrowth and around fallen leaves. An instructor standing nearby had to point them out before reporters could locate the unit at all. The insects in the surrounding forest were audible. The soldiers were not.
Only 199 Soldiers Have Qualified in Five Years
The numbers behind the program reflect just how selective it is. Over the past five years, 351 candidates have entered the assault cadre course. Only 199 — a pass rate of 56.7% — have completed it. In 2024 and 2025 combined, fewer than 25 soldiers earned the badge. This year's cohort of 13 graduates adds to a force that, in the event of war, would be assembled and placed under direct General Staff command with little notice.
Among those who completed the course was Cpl. Lin Ching-kai, a soldier with roughly a decade of service who said he entered the program without strong conviction. "I kept asking myself why I was putting myself through this," he said. By the midpoint, he had found his answer in the people around him. His feet were covered in broken blisters. He crossed the finish line anyway. When asked what he most wanted to do after graduation, he paused before answering: spend time with his family and girlfriend.
One of his classmates had been told by the unit medic that his blisters had become severe enough that any further deterioration would require a medical transfer and automatic dismissal. He finished the course.
"Assault troops are not one person," Instructor Feng told the graduating class. "They are a group." He said it was his first time leading the full program from start to finish — and that he learned as much from the candidates as they learned from him. （Related： Exclusive | Taiwan's Military Data Has a Secret Backup — And It's Not in the United States ｜ Latest ）
