The “luxury facilities” of the US military in Japan reveal the “wealth gap” with the Japan Self-Defence Force

19 comments

1. Source: https://diamond.jp/articles/-/322242

2. I doubt it’s the lack of game rooms and snacks that are making the difference but yes, surprise surprise, if you pay people good money and take care of them they will want to work for you. Shocker!

   Someone should send a memo to the old geezers in charge of both the JSDF and the govt.

3. The US military budget is $93 Million per *hour.*

4. Clean up corruption in military and start some actuall recruitment

5. Not sure but someone can fact check this, is the USO funded by the defense fund? Looks like a USO facility.

6. I’ll take university healthcare over overpaid military grunts anyway 🙌

7. So you want Yoshinoya trucks loaded onto Kawasaki C-2s to go to Djibouti and exercises in the US southwest?

8. “The USO’s services are far superior to those of the Self-Defense Forces. The USO Center offers a relaxing room with comfortable sofas and high-definition televisions, as well as a variety of board games, pool tables, and game consoles.”

   That is really not that luxurious as almost any decent middle class family in the US will have those, except may be the pool table.

9. Wealth gap? US soldiers are paid shit, especially for enlisted soldiers. Officers fair better, but $50-60k starting with a bachelors degree is pretty bad.

10. Bruh half of our brix has mold, we live like rats

11. Doesn’t look this nice at yokota

12. And then you look at the state of their naval vessels and it begins to look a whole lot more even until you compare them to thr Royal Navy and even the Chinese quarters.

13. Well when Japan wants to step up and be the worlds policeman and take the bulk of their GDP and throw it towards their military well underfunding the programs to help their homeless and poor citizens like America does then japans military can afford nicer stuff

14. I worked for decades on overseas US military bases, including Japan. I can tell you that many of the people there are completely spoiled. Their own Post Office, grocery store, furniture store, all other stores, own camping areas, golf courses, free air travel, veterinary services, free legal services. You name it. Discounted college courses taught on base. Additionally, as if this wasn’t enough, there are independent service organizations such as USO, etc. that offer all kinds of free support. The USO was important back in WW2 but nobody needs free telephone cards anymore in the computer age. I was in the service as well for 4 years. You have people on base that complain if they can’t get their favorite breakfast cereal or flavor of potato chips on base. Our gutless politicians have made the military a sacred cow. Untouchable.

15. The Japanese need to spend more on their military but for the last 70 years they have paid a huge amount of the Military budget for U.S. Troops in japan, which is actually a win for the Japanese Economy..The New Aircraft carrier the Gerald S. Ford cost 13.3 billion dollars that’s 1/4 of the Military budget of Japan. On 23 December 2022, the Japanese cabinet unveiled its 2023 budget for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), totaling 6.8 trillion yen ($52 billion). The new budget is 26 per cent higher than the JSDF budget for 2022, the largest year-on-year nominal increase in planned military spending since at least 1952! Once you through in the cost of the F-22, and F-35 development cost that the U.S> paid and the cost of other items to include troops and other equpiment, Japan is getting of cheap. Not to include VA cost for troops that can reach the billions..

16. My barracks room is literally moldy ASF that money is literally not going to us

17. Hey guys, translated the first page of the article with ChatGPT. I’m one of them guy jeans who can’t read to good so for others out there who need help… please note, there’s more pages on this article:

    The Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are currently experiencing a severe shortage of personnel. The author is concerned that if the current situation of not being able to secure recruitment continues, the SDF will eventually collapse. The author would like the country to think about this issue with a sense of crisis.

    The number of recruit candidates for the SDF’s term-based officer training in fiscal year 2022 was less than half of the planned number, falling significantly below the 72% of the lowest record in fiscal year 2018 to the late 40% range.

    The SDF has been plagued by harassment issues and repeated scandals. Even for parents of SDF members, it would be hesitant to entrust their important children to a workplace environment that raises suspicion.

    In reality, recruitment this fiscal year is becoming extremely difficult. With the aging of the population and the deterioration of the security environment, it will become increasingly difficult to secure personnel in the future. Despite such circumstances, the country continues to overlook the issue without implementing concrete measures.

    There are two reasons why personnel is not being recruited. The first is that the SDF is a voluntary organization, and the second is that the treatment is too poor.

    As long as the SDF is a voluntary organization, people cannot be gathered with compensation or treatment that does not match the duties. A dictatorial country like the Chinese Communist Party can gather personnel forcibly with conscription. China has decided to gather reservists by conscription and is strengthening its military power.

    However, if we want to maintain the number of SDF members as it is with the current voluntary system, we need to reform the SDF’s treatment and conditions to make them more attractive. People of recruitment age will not volunteer unless they see the SDF’s treatment and conditions as attractive. The current situation of recruitment is like a clear “NO!” statement. I want you to take this seriously.

    So, how can we improve the treatment? The hint lies in the United States, which also uses a voluntary system.

    In fact, the US military is also struggling with recruitment methods due to its voluntary system. However, it has worked hard to address this issue and has built up treatment and support that can secure personnel and produced results. The author interviewed the USO (United Service Organizations), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports the US military, which is the key to the success of the US military. If this system can be reflected in Japan, it should help to improve the treatment of the current SDF.

    Below is a detailed explanation of the situation at the USO base in Okinawa, along with on-site photos.

18. “Spending Gap” more like

19. US mil wastes tons of money on overpaying for defense contracts, BAH/OHA, use or lose fiscal year spending (ever heard of an office suddenly dropping 10k on chairs?), and spending too much on MWR- yes I said it.

    I bet if you cut all the bullshit out, the US military could be even more fierce than it is now and at only half the cost but the US has a spending culture thats absolutely out of control.

    EDIT: Forgot to mention VA disability fraud and military pensions.