2. Agenda
1 Background
2 Overview of Great Earthquake East Japan
3 Overview of “TOMDACHI” Operation
4 Lessons learn from Great Earthquake East Japan D/R
5 Way to go
This presentation is my opinion. It does not reflect the views of the Stimson Center,
nor does it represent the views of the Ground Self-Defense Force.
3. Background
• Working at G4 in Ground Staff Office, I have
always faced challenges with this topic.
• Experience of the disaster relief (DR)
operation in the Great Eastern Japan
• Facing a challenge of how to ensure the
survival of the domestic defense industrial
base when the defense budget is being cut.
4. SDF response in Great Eastern Japan Earthquake
Northern Army
Personnel 2,800
Total Strength 105,800
× × Aircraft 39
GSDF Component 70,000
7 (-)
MSDF Component 14,200
×
ASDF Component 21,600 (-)
11 Northeastern Army(JTF)
× × Personnel 45,000
ASDF Component Aircraft 67
×
C- C-130H
1 Eastern Army
Supply Trans. MSDF Component
Personnel 3,800
× × Aircraft 39
3 (-) × ×
1 (-)
Supply Trans. Central Readiness Force
(-) Personnel 900
×
(-) × × Aircraft 24
15
8 (-)
Aviation School
Aircraft 51
Western Army Middle Army GSO, Other units &
Personnel 3,100 Personnel 3,500 Schools
Aircraft 41 Aircraft 34 Personnel 10,900
7. Lessons Learned from GEJE
JTF organized for the
first time
Challenge in
transportation
Difficulty in bilateral
operation
Challenges in logistics
8. JTF Organization
Minister of Defense
Chief of Staff,
Joint Staff
Nuclear Disaster Relief OPS Joint Task Force
Commander ,CRF Commander,
*CRF: Central Readiness Force
Northeastern Army
Units Land Component
(Commander, Northeast
Army)
Maritime Component
(Commander Yokosuka
district)
Air Component
(Commander, Air
Defense Command) 8
8
9. Challenges in Transportation
Delay in starting transport
coordination center.
Prioritization
Lack of maritime
transport.
Lack of transport
capability.
10. Difficulty in Bilateral Operations
Reinforcement of Framework for Japan – U.S. Coordination
Prime Minister
Ichigaya Coordination Center
CCS Minister for Defense Relevant Minister
CS
(National Security Internal BureauRelevant Ministries
And
And Agencies
MG Oue Crisis Management) Brig Gen
MG Isobe
Crowe
(JSO)
(USFJ)
Ichigaya Yokota
JSO JSF-J
Bilateral Bilateral
Coordination Center Coordination Center
Sendai Coordination Center Yokota Coordination Center
Sendai
Col Timberlake JTF-Tohoku
(ⅢMEF) Bilateral
COL Hiroe MG Bansho ADM Walsh
↓ Coordination Center
(GSO) COL Agena (GSO) (PACFLT)
(USARJ)
※ CCS=Chief of Cabinet Secretary
11. Challenges in Logistics
Commercial vendors/JSDF
competed for relief supplies
Two missions
Destruction of the local
government
13. The Way Forward
Enhance Jointness
Improve transport
capability
Tighten bilateral
coordination
Improve logistic
capability
Importance of defense
industrial base
14. Enhance Jointness
Japan’s Goldwater-
Nichols?
Enforcement of jointness
critical
Joint Staff Office needs
personnel and budget