2008年9月25日に海軍兵学校のあった江田島で第一術科学校特別警備隊の隊員が訓練中の事故が原因で死亡した。伯父の海兵72期でもカッターの訓練中に心臓発作で亡くなった生徒がいたが、今回の事故は様相が違う。訓練の過酷さに耐えられなかった隊員が、他部署へ異動を願い出た後に制裁的な訓練が加えられたとの報道だ。時津風部屋のリンチ事件に共通する嫌なものを感じる。国防に燃える青年達の熱意に水をかけるような事件だ。水泳訓練で死んだ海兵生徒の霊安室で井上成美校長は声を上げて泣いたという。特別警備隊が選り抜きの特殊部隊である以上訓練が厳しいのは理解できるが、部署を去る者になぜ死に至るような訓練が必要なのか。訓練に耐えられないと判断したら、自分の活躍できる部署を探して国防という同じ目的をめざせば良いのではないか。もし、この様な次元の低い指導がまかり通っているとしたら国防の砦としては情けない限りだ。
DEATH OF A JMSDF SBU MEMBER
A member of Special Boarding Unit/SBU has died during combat training in Etajima where Imperial Navy's Naval Academy used to be on Sept.25th. Back in 1940, my uncle's classmate had died of heart attack after cutter training. However things seems to be different this time. The victim member were supposed to transfer to other department because he could not endure the severe trainig to be SBU member. This reminds me of apprentice beating incident of Tokitsukazebeya Sumo stable. Why did he had to go thru severe traing when he was about to leave the Unit. This was nothing but punishment. In Naval Academy, principal Inoue Shigeyoshi cried out loud before the student's body who were drowned during swimming training. Traing for special forces might be very hard but its objective must not be a punishment.