Toughing it out at a boot camp for Taiwan's most elite navy unit

The training program for those hoping to join Taiwan's elite navy unit lasts 10 weeks. This year, 31 participants decided to put themselves through the trial by fire but only 15 will make the grade. At the Zuoying navy base in southern Taiwan, body and soul are really put to the test — one exercise involves sleeping on cold concrete.

After spending the entire day at sea, trainees are doused with cold water. Exhausted and trembling, they stand on the pier. The aim of the boot camp is to help participants develop an iron will. No matter how difficult their mission, their loyalty to their comrades and the navy should be unwavering.

Yu Guang-Cang is taking part in a training exercise on the beach. It might, at first, look like any other workout. But the trainees have to endure everything from long marches to hours in the water. Their instructors have a reputation for being particularly tough and uncompromising. Breaks are short and seldom. Often there's just time for a gulp of water and a toilet break.

Here, a trainee battles exhaustion as he is daubed with camouflage paint. All of the men in the program have chosen to be here. Many want to push themselves to the limit. The training is intended to simulate the extreme challenges of war. The navy's leadership expects the men to be able to function when the going gets really tough.

The hopefuls spend a large part of their time in the sea or the pool. They have to learn to hold their breath for a considerable time, to swim in full combat gear and to invade beaches from the sea. They often have their hands and feet bound at the same time. Don't try this at home!

The men don't just have to pass strength and endurance tests, they also face some extreme stretching exercises. Twenty-five-year-old Ou Zhi-Xuan cries in pain as he is stretched close to breaking point. If anyone snaps back at the instructors while under duress, they are immediately ejected from the ARP program.

Of course, the men have to train in combat gear, too. They face a torrent of abuse and humiliation from the instructors of the elite navy unit. The young men get a one-hour break every six hours. In this time, they have to eat — things like garlic bulbs to strengthen their immune system — get medical assistance, relieve themselves and sleep.

The final exercise is called "road to heaven." In it, trainees have to tackle a unique obstacle course. They are forced to crawl, practically naked, over a rocky course and perform pushups, even though they are already exhausted from the trials and tribulations — including severe sleep deprivation — of the previous weeks. "I am not scared of death," said one trainee, 30-year-old Fu Yu.

Xu De-Yu marks the end of the ARP boot camp by ringing the bell. He is one of the "lucky" ones — he has passed the test. "Of course, we absolutely won't force anyone, everyone is here voluntarily," stresses instructor Chen Shou-lih, 26. "That's why we are so severe with them and also eliminate them strictly." His message to the men: "We won't just wave you through because you wanted to come."