On May 3, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng officiated the "Air Force Commander-in-Chief Handover Ceremony and Award Ceremony", where the newly appointed commander-in-chief, General Liu Jen-yuan, officially assumed his new position. Minister Chiu urged Air Force officers and soldiers to strive for excellence and reach greater heights under Commander Liu's leadership to create a brighter vision for the future. The ceremony was held in the morning at the Air Force's Chung Yung Barracks, where Minister Chiu first read out orders, followed by the handover of the official seal from the former Air Force Chief, General Hsiung Hou-chi, to his successor General Liu Jen-yuan. Afterwards, General Liu completed his oath of office presided over by Minister Chiu and was formally sworn in. During the ceremony, Minister Chiu also presented General Liu with the Medal of Victorious Garrison, A-First Class in recognition of his outstanding performance and merit during his service as Vice Chief of the Air Force. Minister Chiu remarked that since General Hsiung was appointed to Air Force Commander-in-Chief, he fully dedicated his efforts and achieved outstanding results in important undertakings such as air force affairs, military planning, preparation and training, disaster prevention and relief, education and training, and logistical preparations. In particular, during his tenure, he successfully achieved key accomplishments such as the execution of the "F-16V performance upgrade program" and "delivery of the first AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle Advanced Jet Trainer", which set an important milestone for the national defense autonomy policies. In his speech, Minister Chiu also offered three points of guidance to encourage all Air Force officers and soldiers. First of all, Minister Chiu pointed out that the "loyalty and bravery" spirit is the pivotal source of the Air Force's combat strength, and every officer and soldier should work together to defend the image and dignity of the armed forces, especially to know and abide by the law, pay attention to military ethics, and strive for self-improvement with high moral standards and military virtues. Officers and soldiers should never be tempted by the outside influences and give up on core values. This is the only way to unite the hearts and minds of the people, to strengthen the capabilities of the air force, and to gain the recognition and support of all citizens. Secondly, Minister Chiu noted that in recent years, the PLA has continued its provocations in our surrounding seas and airspace, and that the ROC Armed Forces must routinely respond to incursions by PLA aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and long-distance training activities. Nevertheless, the ROC Air Force has always been on the frontlines, and remain vigilant at all times by responding rapidly to any infringement of our sovereign airspace to ensure territorial security. He hoped that all officers and soldiers will continue to refine their professional knowledge in order to build a modern, professional air force that can meet the increasingly serious threat of hostilities. Lastly, Minister Chiu instructed that all levels of the Air Force should uphold the guiding principle of "everywhere is a battlefield, prepare at all times" when carrying out combat readiness operations for Taiwan, and that they should focus on combat-oriented exercises and training. The only way to get maximize effects is to "follow schedules, set target goals, master the key points, and pay attention to safety". Troops at all levels should also uphold the concept of "equipment is valuable, human life is priceless", establish the concept of "risk management", optimize organizational functions, strengthen internal management, and take proper counseling and preventive measures to effectively reduce the occurrence of flight safety and accidents and ensure the strong combat readiness and capabilities of the troops.
