Amid the declining population of children, what should be done to secure Self-Defense Forces personnel who can properly fulfill such duties as defense and disaster rescue? The government must establish a system to cooperate with local governments to achieve this aim.
The recruitment situation for the three SDF units -- ground, maritime and air -- is becoming severe.
Applications to become SDF cadets who serve for fixed terms have decreased, resulting in the number of recruits falling below the planned number for four straight years. For the Maritime Self-Defense Force, in particular, the number of recruits was 60 percent of the plan. Young people are likely not enthused that MSDF personnel work at sea for a long time and cannot use mobile phones during that time.
The Defense Ministry last year raised the upper limit on the hiring age to 32 from the previous 26. It is hoping for mid-career hiring from the private sector. Expanding the recruitment age bracket was unavoidable to make up for the personnel shortage.
The new National Defense Program Guidelines adopted last year stress the importance of strengthening the human resource base through such measures as better cooperation with local governments, improvement of personnel's treatment and promoting women's engagement and advancement. It is unprecedented for such a strong sense of urgency to be presented.
SDF personnel, whose duties entail grueling tasks, start reaching their mandatory retirement ages in their 50s. Extending their retirement ages in stages will also likely be considered.
The number of SDF personnel has fallen by nearly 20,000 over the last decade due to difficulties in recruitment and severe fiscal circumstances. To effectively use the existing personnel, it is indispensable to flexibly review the roles of the three SDF units.
Municipalities must do more
Recruitment of SDF personnel has become a contentious point in the Diet. It was triggered by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's statement that "required cooperation has not been obtained from more than 60 percent of local governments."
To facilitate its recruitment activities, the ministry asks governments of cities, wards, towns and villages to mainly submit a list of residents aged 18 and 22, in print or digital formats. The request is based on the Self-Defense Forces Law and its enforcement ordinance, which authorize the defense minister to ask for such cooperation from local governments.
In fiscal 2017, 36 percent of these local governments submitted the data as requested. In contrast, 53 percent just allowed the basic resident registration system to be viewed or copied by hand, while 10 percent were not asked for cooperation by the SDF.
Opposition parties have criticized the prime minister, saying that allowing the system to be viewed is equivalent to cooperation. However, copying the system's information by hand requires an enormous amount of work. It is difficult to say that measure is cooperation in keeping with the law.
Some local governments refused to cooperate in any way. They are likely to have catered to political parties or civic groups that are critical of the SDF, and were therefore unwilling to react positively. Such a response is hard to understand at a time when the public's trust in the SDF is deepening.
SDF personnel engage in life-saving operations, transport relief supplies and remove debris, among other tasks, in the event of a disaster. The government should urge local governments more strongly to provide support for the SDF's recruitment activities.
Both the ruling and opposition camps must sincerely think of measures without handling this important issue of securing SDF personnel like a political football.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 28, 2019)
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
