The division commander of the 8th Division, General Yuichi Sakamoto, had just arrived on the 30th of last month.
Division Commander Sakamoto, a 55-year-old from Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, joined the Ground Self-Defense Force in 1991 after graduating from the National Defense Academy, and has served as the chief of operations of the Ground General Corps Headquarters and the commander of the 12th Brigade, holding positions related to defense policy planning and unit operations.
March 3: Inauguration Ceremony
At the inauguration ceremony held the day after his arrival, he instructed the members of the SDF to "be aware of changes and evolution and take on challenges, as the way we fight is changing in a severe security environment."
At the press conference after the inauguration ceremony, he expressed his aspiration, "I would like to develop the 8th Division into a division that is trusted and loved by the community."
Regarding the role of the 8th Division based on the security environment surrounding Japan, he stated, "The 8th Division, which is in charge of the island area and is operated in maneuvers, can be said to be the front line of the Ground Self-Defense Force.
[What is the 8th Division?]
The 8th Division, headquartered in Kumamoto City, is a unit of several thousand people that is the core of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Western Area Command, which is in charge of the Kyushu and Okinawa regions, and is responsible for defense security and disaster dispatch in Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima prefectures.
In addition, it is positioned as a "mobile division" that deploys flexibly in the event of an emergency, and it is expected to be deployed to the Nansei Islands such as Okinawa Prefecture.
The 8th Squadron belongs to the 8th Division and is based at the Takayubaru Detachment in Kumamoto Prefecture and carries out missions such as helicopter transportation.