Shen Yi-ming

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.

Early life and education Shen was born in Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan in 1957. His ancestral home is in Yixing, Wuxi, Jiangsu. He graduated from the Republic of China Air Force Academy in 1979, where his general officer classmates 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.

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. 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.

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. 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. Shortly after that comment, Taiwan signed a US$330 million deal to upgrade 144 F-16 fighter jets to the F-16V standard. In July 2019, Shen replaced Admiral Lee Hsi-ming as Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

Death

Shen was killed in a helicopter accident on 2 January 2020 in the Wulai District of New Taipei. The Black Hawk Shen was traveling in lost contact with Songshan military airbase at 8:07 AM, thirteen minutes after taking off. 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. Shen's remains were cremated on 14 January 2020, and buried at Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery. A memorial ceremony for the crash victims was held at Songshan Air Force Base on 14 January 2020.

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. The Ministry of National Defense awarded Shen a National Emblem Medal.

Awards