SDF Personnel Continue to Work After Retirement Age Under Reemployment System; Young Members Freed for Front-Line Units

By Atsushi Takedazu and Hiroshi Mizota / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

2:00 JST, December 9, 2025

The Self-Defense Forces are focusing on reemploying retired personnel to deal with ongoing labor shortages.

SDF aims to have the veteran personnel take on support roles in education, administration, technical sections and other areas, allowing more young members to be deployed to front-line units.

During an exercise over the Genkai Sea off the coast of Kyushu, Maj. Hidenori Hidaka sat in the back of one of two T-4 trainer aircraft that had taken off from Ashiya Air Base in Fukuoka Prefecture. Hidaka instructed the aviation cadet pilot at the controls as the two aircraft engaged in formation flying practice.

“Lift [the nose],” said 57-year-old Hidaka. “Keep an eye on your partner.”

The training unit at Ashiya Air Base trains future fighter pilots. The T-4 is the ideal aircraft for the cadets to hone their skills thanks to its excellent maneuverability. The model is even used by the Blue Impulse aerobatic team.

“Hidaka is a veteran pilot, so he spots my bad habits quickly and gives me accurate advice,” the cadet said.

Hidaka was reemployed as a training aircraft instructor in December 2023, becoming the first retired officer in the Air Self-Defense Force to be reemployed in the role.

During his active career, Hidaka piloted F-15 fighter jets and was scrambled in emergencies to guard against intrusions by foreign military aircraft into Japanese airspace. Even now, he runs over five kilometers three times a week, never missing a session.

“Not only am I able to fly, but I also feel my experience is helping train the next generation,” he said. “It makes me happy.”

In recent years, the SDF has been facing a serious shortage of personnel due to recruitment difficulties and an increase in mid-career resignations. As of the end of March, active personnel numbers were at only 89.1% of the SDF’s 247,000 capacity.

Attention has consequently been drawn to the reemployment system, which was introduced in fiscal 2001.

SDF members retire several years earlier than other civil servants, as their duties are more demanding. For example, mid-level-rank officers, who form the core of a unit, retire at 55 or 56.

Under the system, reemployed personnel work for one year in principle, with renewal possible up to the day before their 65th birthday.

Initially, the reemployment system covered 27 types of work, including research, supply and accounting, but since 2019, it has been expanded to include air traffic control and surveillance in the domains of cyber and space.

When the system was introduced, 30 retired personnel were reemployed. Currently, the number has grown to about 1,300 across the three branches of the SDF.

“Utilizing reemployed personnel will enable us to deploy young members to front-line combat units,” said a Defense Ministry official. “We will also consider expanding the scope of the duties [of reemployed personnel].”