[War] Japan: "The View from the Nosebleeds"

[Ian Martell]

"The View from the Nosebleeds"
Japanese Peacekeeping Battalion, Georgia.
Japan
July 8 2014
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1st Patrol, Second Platoon, of the 3rd Company of the 1st Peace Battalion 
crouched in the shade of their Type-96 APC, enjoying a break from their 
security duties while their Sergeant reported to the Platoon's Lieutenant, 
for their orders. As they waited in the shade, a pair of the 'new guys' from 
the Western Army Infantry Regiment rounded a nearby supply shed looking cool 
in their latest ballistic eyewear and state of the art body armour.

"Hey you guys get to shoot anyone yet?" Corporal Harima called from his 
place of honour by the front wheel of the APC.

The two men exchanged looks and kept walking as though Harima hadn't even 
spoke.

"Bastards," Harima cursed as soon as they were out of earshot. "They just 
got here and already they're getting all the action."

Katsuo the team's medic, who was the only one in the sunlight, looked down 
from where he was sunning himself on the top of the APC and shook his head. 
"I heard they're only following the advance, haven't even fired a shot."

Harima spat on the ground. "Still it isn't fair, we've been in this shitty 
country for two months and we haven't done shit."

The Peace Battalion had been assigned to the Georgia peacekeeping mission 
before the whole Iran war exploded on to the world scene and they were moved 
up closer to the Azerbaijan border to help secure the staging area for the 
attack against Iran.

"It's like the Navy guys," said Goto from where he squatted. "They've just 
showed up and I heard they got to blow up a bunch of stuff already."

"Should have joined the navy," Harima said ruefully.

"You got to be smart to join the Navy," Katsuo joked. "You barely passed 
your high school exam, that's why you're in the army."

"Shut up, who asked you anyway?" Harima said moodily as Goto and the rest of 
the patrol laughed. Snorting Harima stood up and stretched. "I am just 
saying that it's not fair, we've been in this place forever putting up with 
these foul smelling barbarians who can't even talk English let alone 
Japanese and what do we get? Guard duty."

Goto grunted. "Let the Westies go to Yasukuni, I am fine with staying back 
here," he said. Yasukuni was the shrine for the Japanese war dead.

"Will we go to Yasukuni?" asked Iwata from at the back of the APC's shadow. 
He was the new guy and it showed how Harima barely noticed he spoke. "I mean 
if we die."

Harima shook his head. "I don't know, I guess," he said finally. "Anyhow, go 
stand watch."

Iwata frowned but he stood up and snapped to. "Sir!" and then moved away to 
go watch the great deal of nothing that surrounded them while the others 
lazed in the sun.

Katsuo looked over without raising his head off his hands. "Hey, let the kid 
get some rest," he said. "We're likely doing another patrol today."

Goto nodded. "That's right Banzai will want us out showing the Americans we're 
real soldiers," he said wryly.

Banzai was the nickname they gave their lieutenant, a young, highly-educated 
and very nervous man who saw this foreign assignment as his chance for a 
promotion and so spent most of his at HQ volunteering his platoon for any 
assignment that came open. That meant more often than not, more patrols than 
what the men felt was a fair share of patrols were assigned to the platoon.

The men laughed at Goto's remark, and Shimeda took out a cigarette and lit 
it up, before passing the pack to the others.
"Heard the helos got some action last night," Shimeda said.

"Yeah?" Goto asked. "Who told you that?"

"Tanaka," Shimeda said.

"No shit?" Harima asked. "What happened? Missile?"

"No, just ground fire, said his helo got grazed though, then the American 
gunships flew in and." Shimeda mimed an explosion with his hands. "Boom."

"That's so cool, man the flyboys are lucky," Harima lamented.

And the others agreed, after all, it seemed like everyone else was having 
all the fun and all they could do was watch from the sidelines.

Actions:

1> Highlight Japan's ground and air contributions, if through a rather 
inglorious POV.