Tokyo, Feb 23: A Japanese sergeant with an elite parachute regiment was so desperate to avoid a tour of Iraq that he shoplifted in the hope of being grounded, media reports and an official said.

The stunt appeared to have succeeded for the time being as the soldier, who was not named, was caught red-handed and grounded for 40 days from yesterday, a spokesman for the ground self-defence force, Japan's De Facto Army, said.

"He stole a handbag and other goods worth a total of 11,000 yen (USD 93)" from a store in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo, he said.

Kyodo news agency quoted the paratrooper, 38, as saying, "I did it because I did not want to go to Iraq".

About 170 members of the first airborne brigade, Japan's only paratroopers, had been called up on the latest rotation for deployment to southern Iraq, starting in late January, and he was on the reserve list, Kyodo said.

Around 600 Japanese troops are stationed in Iraq on a reconstruction mission in Tokyo's first military deployment since World War II to a country where fighting is under way.

The troops, based in the relatively safe southern city of Samawa, have suffered noired a shot as the 1947 constitution forbids Japan from using force.

Bureau Report
Link

Quoted: Tokyo, Feb 23: A Japanese sergeant with an elite parachute regiment was so desperate to avoid a tour of Iraq that he shoplifted in the hope of being grounded, media reports and an official said. The stunt appeared to have succeeded for the time being as the soldier, who was not named, was caught red-handed and grounded for 40 days from yesterday, a spokesman for the ground self-defence force, Japan's De Facto Army, said. "He stole a handbag and other goods worth a total of 11,000 yen (USD 93)" from a store in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo, he said. Kyodo news agency quoted the paratrooper, 38, as saying, "I did it because I did not want to go to Iraq". About 170 members of the first airborne brigade, Japan's only paratroopers, had been called up on the latest rotation for deployment to southern Iraq, starting in late January, and he was on the reserve list, Kyodo said. Around 600 Japanese troops are stationed in Iraq on a reconstruction mission in Tokyo's first military deployment since World War II to a country where fighting is under way. The troops, based in the relatively safe southern city of Samawa, have suffered noired a shot as the 1947 constitution forbids Japan from using force. Bureau Report Link

Had he been in the US, all he would have gotten was a discharge.

I keed, I keed.

The japanese are pussies now.  What the hell happened to ritual suicide?





I think you guys nuked 'em a little too hard.  

I guess I can see he doesn't like the fact Japan is now peackeeping it's troops

I hear their ROEs are fucked up.  They're not allowed to shoot back if shot at.

The Japanese military has certainly gone downhill.

They should defer prosecution until after his tour.

NTM

What kind of Paratrooper doesn't want to go to combat?

Quoted: What kind of Paratrooper doesn't want refuses to go to combat?

+1 with fix.

Most of us DON'T want to go. But very few of us refuse to. The old line "hope for peace but prepare for war." comes to mind here. Nearly every Soldier (paratrooper or not) I know, and I know a lot of 'em , hopes we never have to go again. But we go when we're asked and do what we volunteered to do.

That being said I think every POS that commits a crime to avoid deployment should be discharged and sent over there in handcuffs. Once they arrive, escort them to the gate of the airbase, remove the handcuffs, plant a boot in their ass and wish them good luck.