2 GSDF Sergeants Suspended for Violence during Training

Chiba, July 27 (Jiji Press)–The Ground-Self Defense Force’s Camp Narashino on Monday imposed two- and four-month suspensions on two sergeants, aged 35 and 37, respectively, for using violence against other GSDF members during training in 2023. The two sergeants admitted to the violence, claiming that they resorted to it because they saw no improvements in how weapons were managed despite providing guidance, according to the camp, located in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. Around January-March 2023, the 35-year-old sergeant, a member of the First Airborne Brigade, and the 37-year-old sergeant, a member of the Airborne Training Unit, kicked and slapped several GSDF members during Airborne Training Unit drills. About 30 GSDF members participated in the training. Several of them reported being assaulted in a survey in March that year. The two sergeants’ actions were later deemed workplace power harassment. Separately, the Narashino camp suspended a 36-year-old sergeant of the First Airborne Brigade for eight days for photographing a sensitive document with a smartphone and sending it to an acquaintance. The sergeant said this was an opportunistic act, according to the camp. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]