(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
On October 9, the “Ministerial Meeting on Improving the Treatment and Working Environments and Establishing New Lifetime Career Plans of Self-Defense Forces Personnel” chaired by Prime Minister Ishiba was established, since then, discussions have been held at a high frequency. As a result, today, at its fourth meeting, we were able to conclude the basic policy on improving the treatment of Self-Defense Force (SDF) personnel. First, the salary for the active-duty period, from the age of 18 until retirement, will be greatly improved. Specifically, the annual salary for first-year SDF personnel, who joined after graduation from high school, is 3.5 million yen as of this April, it will be increased by more than 600,000 yen. In addition, more than 30 allowances, unprecedented in the past, will be newly established and the salary amount will be raised, and the salary schedule for SDF personnel will also be reviewed for revision in FY2028. Next, regarding the salary at the retirement age of 56, the Government will review the raising of the retirement age by about two years after FY2028. This will raise the salary from the current 7.2 million yen per year during the active-duty period. Re-employment after retirement is difficult due to the annual income dropping significantly from 7.2 million yen. Both the benefits for SDF personnel retiring at an early age (2.5 million yen) and re-employment wages (3.1 million yen) will be raised, increasing the total amount from the current 5.6 million yen. This basic policy ensures that the generation responsible for the defense force in the future will be able to serve with peace of mind in demanding missions and gain pride and honor. In order to consolidate treatment appropriate to the current era, we also decided to work toward the establishment of a new lifetime career plan to improve the treatment of SDF personnel and their living and working environments. For the improvement of the treatment, the following five areas are listed. The first is the expansion of salary and benefit increases. The second is to revise the salary schedule to be commensurate with the specialty of the SDF personnel’s duties and work environment. Third is the establishment of a position for new tenured troops who will be hired as SDF personnel from the beginning. Fourth, the installation of new benefits for personnel who live in the barracks, which is a residential area within the SDF, and the fifth is the expansion of the scope of awards and decorations.
To improve the living and working environment, firstly, the living spaces will be converted to private rooms, which was highly demanded by the personnel. Secondly, we will promptly promote the improvement of the communication environment, such as installing Wi-Fi in the common areas of the barracks and on major vessels. The third is the enhancement of childcare services to help the personnel balance work and childcare. The fourth is the establishment quarters for women to promote women’s participation. The fifth is to make the rations more attractive to SDF personnel. Ration is a difficult phrase, in short, it is necessary to provide a more delicious meal. Finally, in order to establish new lifetime career plans, the first step is the expansion of re-employment opportunities. This will be followed by simplifying the process of acquiring public qualifications. Public qualifications refer to various types of socially recognized certifications and licenses, we will simplify the process of acquiring them. Next is raising the retirement age in conjunction with the development of a system to support re-employment up to the age of 65, and the last is raising the level of benefits for SDF personnel retiring at an early age. We will consider these improvements. It is of utmost importance to ensure the effectiveness of each measure described in the basic policy. The Ministry of Defense will reflect these measures in the draft budget for FY2025, promptly consider required amendments to laws and systems, and submit those that are feasible to the next ordinary session of the Diet. We will continue to make efforts to fundamentally reinforce the human resource base in cooperation with the relevant ministries and agencies.