Taiwan is reshaping its alternative military service corps into a disaster-response force, a neutral-to-positive move for the island's emergency readiness.

• The Interior Ministry has redefined alternative service as a mobile backup force for disaster rescue work.
• Uniforms got their first redesign in 25 years, swapping office-style khaki shirts and dress trousers for tear-resistant, water-repellent, quick-dry gear with cargo pockets, work boots and reflective safety markings.
• The old outfits dated to the program's launch in 2000 and were built for indoor desk duty, not floods and earthquakes.
• The new look debuts at this year's National Day parade, where over 2,500 disaster-response personnel will march in five contingents alongside police and fire crews.
• Police dogs and fire-service search-and-rescue dogs will join the parade, including animals that worked the Lushan hot springs and Matai'an Creek flood rescues.

Outlook: The parade is meant to showcase a broader push to build civil defense and disaster resilience across Taiwanese society.