A PARATROOPER from Evesham is in Japan to train with the Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF).
Private Tom Merrall is on the mountainous island of Hokkaido for Exercise Vigilant Isles, which sees A Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (A Coy, 2 PARA) working with the JGSDF’s 5th Brigade.
The troops are working together to practice how to defend against an invading force.
Private Tom Merrall from Evesham is training out in Japan with the Army. s
“It’s really good to work with other countries’ armies, because we could be working with them on operations and we need to understand each other’s methods,” the 21-year-old said.
“The Japanese have been very open and hospitable and, as well as good training, we’ve been able to get to know each other socially.”
Tom, who joined the Army in 2023 after attending Prince Henry’s High School, is a team medic.
“We did a ‘show and tell’ session with the Japanese medics, and it was really interesting to compare how we would treat the same casualty,” he said.
“There are a lot of similarities in kit and treatment, but the biggest difference is the type of pain relief they use and how they give it.”
The Colchester-based paratrooper has previously trained in Cyprus and the USA.
Exercise Vigilant Isles – running for the fourth time this year – is part of the deepening military relationship between the UK and Japan, built around a shared commitment to Indo-Pacific security.
The UK is the only European country able to conduct bilateral military training in Japan.
The British Army is currently recruiting to fill 10,000 jobs across the UK, with more than 200 roles to choose from.
These cover everything from frontline combat and cyber security to helicopter pilots, chefs and support roles.
People aged 16 to 50 who want to find out more about a career in the Army should search online for ‘Army Jobs’.
