The Veterans Affairs Council (VAC; ) is a branch of the

Executive Yuan The Executive Yuan () is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Its leader is the Premier, who is appointed by the President of the Republic of China, and requires confirmation by the Legislative Yuan. ...

of the Republic of China (

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

) with "responsibilities to assist in education assistance, employment assistance, medical care, home care and other general services" for retired servicemen and women from the

Republic of China Armed Forces The Republic of China Armed Forces (ROC Armed Forces) are the armed forces of the Republic of China (ROC), once based in mainland China and currently in its remaining jurisdictions which include the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu ...

. VAC is a National Member of

World Veterans Federation The World Veterans Federation (WVF) is the world's largest international veteran organisation. The federation consists of 172 veterans organizations from 121 countries representing some 60 million veterans worldwide. It is a humanitarian organisa ...

. The incumbent minister is

Feng Shih-kuan Feng Shih-kuan (; born 25 November 1945) is a Taiwanese politician. He served in the Republic of China Air Force from 1967 to 2006, retiring with the rank of General before assuming the post of Minister of National Defense in 2016. Feng stepped ...

, a retired

Republic of China Air Force The Republic of China Air Force, retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force and unofficially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force, is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, currently based i ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

who took office on 5 August 2019.

History

VAC was founded as cabinet-level organization on 1 November 1954 as Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen (VACRS; ). It changed name to Veterans Affairs Commission in 1966 and to Veterans Affairs Council on 1 November 2013.

Missions and functions

* Ensuring the Vitality of the Armed Forces * Securing Social Stability and Prosperity * Maximizing Human Resources * Supporting National Reconstruction * Developing Substantive Diplomacy

Organizational structures

* Department of Planning * Department of Veterans Service and Assistance * Department of Homecare and Nursing Care * Department of Education and Employment Assistance * Department of Healthcare and Medical Care * Department of Business Management * Department of Retirement Payment * Department of Administrative Management * Department of Personnel * Department of Civil Service Ethics * Department of Accounting * Department of Statistics and Information * Legal Affairs Committee

Hospitals and Veterans Homes

VAC operates hospitals and retirement homes, including: *

Taipei Veterans General Hospital Taipei Veterans General Hospital () is a national first-class medical center and a teaching hospital that provides tertiary patient care, undergraduate medical education programs and residency programs in Taiwan. It was founded in 1958 and admin ...

Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital The Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH; ) is a hospital in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. History The hospital was opened in 1990. Transportation The hospital is accessible within walking distance east of Ecological District ...

Associated Enterprises

Under its charter to provide employment assistance to Taiwan (ROC) military veterans, the Veterans Affairs Commission operates a number of for profit enterprises in

that employ veterans. Some of the related businesses include: * Shin-Shin Bus Company (欣欣客運) * Danan Bus Company (大南汽車) *

Wuling Farm Wuling Farm () is a tourist attraction farm in Heping District, Taichung, Taiwan. History The farm was originally established in 1963 to provide employment for retired servicemen. At the beginning of the reclamation phase, the first director o ...

* Fushoushan Farm *

Cingjing Farm The Qingjing Farm (), also known as Cingjing Farm, is a tourist attraction farm in Ren'ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan. History The farm was established on 20 February 1961 as the settling place for the demobilized soldiers and their depend ...

* RSEA Engineering (榮民工程公司) - As on 1 July 1998 no longer associated with the Veterans Affairs Commission.

List of VAC Ministers

Political parties: For ministers who retired from the Armed Forces to serve, the Service column denotes their military branch before retirement.

References

External links

* {{Military of the Republic of China 1954 establishments in Taiwan Executive Yuan Government agencies established in 1954 Veterans' affairs ministries Veterans' affairs in Taiwan