TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Army ended its “Chang Tai 19” drills prematurely Wednesday (Oct. 30) to focus on preparing relief work for Typhoon Kong-rey.

The exercises had been scheduled to last from Oct. 28 through Nov. 1, but the Army ordered the troops back to base at noon on Wednesday. Land warnings for large parts of Taiwan were issued during the day, with the typhoon expected to cross the country on Thursday (Oct. 31) and move north over the Taiwan Strait on Friday (Nov. 1).

Even though the drills were cut short, they still succeeded in preparing the troops for realistic warfare scenarios, the Army said. The military said it would continue after the typhoon had gone.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) set up a central emergency response center Wednesday and called on all units to monitor the situation in the areas most likely to face the typhoon’s onslaught, the Liberty Times reported. During severe storms, the military helps with duties including the evacuation of residents, delivery of supplies, and the clearing of roads.

The MND said 36,000 troops had been mobilized, with 3,000 items of machinery at their disposal from amphibious vehicles to rubber dinghies. Special task forces are on standby at military hospitals to provide medical aid if necessary.