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This paper examines Taiwan's civil-military relations in the context of democratic consolidation, focusing on how armed forces and security apparatus face dual challenges for their professional autonomy and political neutrality in a young democracy. In contrast to expectations that lingering fear of interventions and questions about political loyalty would provide the military motives and opportunities to consolidate their veto power position, defense and security sectors in Taiwan achieved political neutrality sooner than expected. Taking on the pilot case of the Coast Guard Administration, this paper finds that the military carves their own political niches within the new democratic order by turning to lobbying both political and civil society to influence the defense and security policy agenda, which represents more of progress than challenges for consolidating democratic governance over the military in Taiwan. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]