Shen Yi-ming explained

Honorific Prefix:Senior General of the Air Force
Shen Yi-ming
Native Name Lang:zh-Hant
Birth Date:1957 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan
Death Place:Wulai, New Taipei, Taiwan
Death Cause:Helicopter accident
Office1:27th Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces
Deputy1:Liu Chih-pin
Term Start1:1 July 2019
Term End1:2 January 2020
Predecessor1:Lee Hsi-ming
Successor1:Liu Chih-pin (acting)
Huang Shu-kuang
Office2:12th Deputy Minister (Policy) of National Defense of the Republic of China
Term Start2:1 March 2018
Term End2:30 June 2019
Minister2:Yen Teh-fa
Alongside2:Chang Guan-chung
Predecessor2:Pu Tze-chun
Successor2:Chang Che-ping
Office3:6th Commander of the Republic of China Air Force
Term Start3:30 January 2015
Term End3:28 February 2018
Predecessor3:Liu Chen-wu
Successor3:Chang Che-ping
Alma Mater:Republic of China Air Force Academy
Air War College
Serviceyears:1975–2020
Rank: (posthumously promoted)
Unit:Chief of the General Staff
Commanding General of the Air Force

Shen Yi-ming (; 30 March 1957 – 2 January 2020) was a Taiwanese military officer who served as a Republic of China Air Force general and the Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Minister of National Defense for Policy, and Commander of the ROC Air Force.

On 2 January 2020, he was killed in a military helicopter crash while on a routine mission.

Education

Shen was born in Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan in 1957, with an ancestral home in Yixing, Wuxi, Jiangsu. He graduated from the Republic of China Air Force Academy in 1979, his general officer classmate included General Wu Wan-chiao (吳萬教) and Lieutenant General Ko Wen-an (柯文安). He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College in 1992 and from the Air War College in the United States in 2002.[1]

Military career

He trained in Saudi Arabia for one year as part of the Peace Bell Program (known as Great Desert Program in Taiwan), active between 1975 and 1990.[2] After the Republic of China Air Force acquired Mirage 2000-5 jets from France in the 1990s, he was one of the first Taiwanese pilots to be trained in their operation.[1] Shen held positions in the Air Force such as the Deputy Commander of the Office of the Deputy Joint Chief of the General Staff in Intelligence, Air Force Combatant Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Force Staff, Deputy Minister of National Defense for Administrative Affairs, and served as Commanding General of the Air Force from 1 February 2015 to 1 March 2018.[3]

Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff

Shen succeeded Admiral Pu Tze-chun as vice minister of defense for policy in March 2018, serving under Yen Teh-fa.[4] As vice defense minister, Shen promoted international military exchanges with the United States. In regards to United States President Donald Trump, he has stated “We greatly appreciate that the US is willing to review our military sales requests on a case-by-case basis, instead of the bundling approach carried out previously", referring to military exchanges between the US and Taiwan.[5] Shortly after that comment, Taiwan signed a US$330 million deal to upgrade 144 F-16 fighter jets to the F-16V standard.[6] In July 2019, Shen replaced Admiral Lee Hsi-ming as Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces.[7]

Death

See main article: 2020 ROCAF UH-60M crash. Shen was killed in a helicopter accident on 2 January 2020 in the Wulai District of New Taipei.[8] The Black Hawk Shen was traveling in lost contact with Songshan military airbase at 8:07 AM, thirteen minutes after taking off.[9] The helicopter was carrying three crew, nine officers—including Shen—and a correspondent from the Military News Agency. Seven others of those aboard the helicopter were also killed in the crash, including two Major Generals, while five others were injured and survived.[10] Shen's remains were cremated on 14 January 2020, and buried at Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery.[11] [12] A memorial ceremony for the crash victims was held at Songshan Air Force Base on 14 January 2020.[13]

On January 3, Shen was posthumously awarded the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with Grand Cordon, and promoted to Full General by President Tsai Ing-wen.[14] The Ministry of National Defense awarded Shen a National Emblem Medal.[15]

Awards

Notes and References

  1. News: Tu . Aaron . Chung . Jake . Shen known for his pilot, leadership skills . 3 January 2020 . Taipei Times . 3 January 2020.
  2. News: Wang . Yang-yu . Yu . Kai-hsiang . Lee . Hsin-Yin . Late chief of general staff remembered for professionalism, modesty . 3 January 2020 . Central News Agency . 3 January 2020.
  3. Web site: General Shen Yi-Ming, the 22nd Commander of the Air Force (term of office: February 1, 2015 to March 1, 2018). air.mnd.gov.tw.
  4. News: Lu . Hsin-hui . Yen . William . Defense Ministry gets new deputy chief . 2 July 2019 . Central News Agency . 23 February 2018 . 2 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190702005822/http://focustaiwan.tw/search/201802230030.aspx . bot: unknown .
  5. News: Chung . Lawrence . US, Taiwan military ties closer than ever as Donald Trump challenges Beijing . 2 July 2019 . South China Morning Post . 29 October 2018.
  6. News: Lo . Kinling . Taiwan to get upgraded F-16V fighter jets after US arms sale approved . 2 July 2019 . South China Morning Post . 26 October 2018.
  7. News: Yu . Matt . Chung . Yu-chen . Taiwan's new chief of military staff takes office . 2 July 2019 . Central News Agency . 1 July 2019.
  8. Web site: Breaking News: Taiwan's Chief of General Staff among 8 dead in Black Hawk crash . Keoni . Everington . Taiwan News . 2 January 2020 . 2 January 2020.
  9. News: Wang . Flor . Eight dead, five rescued in UH-60M Black Hawk crash . 2 January 2020 . Central News Agency . 2 January 2020.
  10. Web site: nationalhaber.com. en.nationalhaber.com.
  11. News: Chung . Jake . Event planned for eight killed in crash . 11 January 2020 . Taipei Times . 11 January 2020.
  12. News: Chéng 程 . Jiāwén 嘉文 . Event沈一鳴移靈 蔡英文現身致祭 . 13 January 2020 . United Daily News . 13 January 2020.
  13. News: Yu . Matt . Chen . Yun-yu . Lim . Emerson . President Tsai pays last respects to black hawk crash victims . 15 January 2020 . Central News Agency . 14 January 2020.
  14. News: Lee . Hsin-fang . Tu . Aaron . Chung . Jake . Helicopter Crash: President decorates deceased officers . 4 January 2020 . Taipei Times . 4 January 2020.
  15. News: Wen . Kuei-hsiang . Yu . Hsiang . Huang . Frances . President conveys air force squad's condolences to late general . 5 January 2020 . Central News Agency . 4 January 2020.