After years of development and testing the Army has gone from having an age and gender neutral fitness to one that is basically the older fitness test that had age and gender scoring scales, but additional events. Here is the score card that shows the max and minimum standards per event:
The full scorecard can be downloaded at this link.
Adulthood may start at age 18 now in Japan, but they can’t smoke or drink until age 20:
Starting April 1, some teenagers in Japan may sign contracts and rent apartments on their own, but they still can’t legally smoke, drink or gamble, according to a change in Japanese law.
Japan is lowering the age of majority, or adulthood, to 18, to stay in step with other countries, including the United States, France and Turkey, according to a Ministry of Justice pamphlet explaining the move.
The change in Japan’s Civil Code lowers the age of adulthood from 20, with one exception: the age at which women may marry is raised to 18 from age 16. Men were already permitted to marry at 18.
The change means that 18- and 19-year-olds may sign contracts, such as those for cellphones, credit cards and apartments, without their parents’ consent. It also ends the legal responsibility of parents to keep custody of their children, care for and educate them, according to the ministry pamphlet.
In Japan, students graduate from high school at age 17 or 18, and many start working.
The age at which young Japanese may drink, smoke and wager at government-controlled activities such as horse racing, remains 20.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link.
It appears even USFK is beginning to understand they need to learn to live with COVID by allowing travel to Seoul and indoor dining and movie theaters are also allowed. However, off-post bars, clubs, saunas, spas and karaokes are still off limits:
The command overseeing U.S. troops in South Korea has lifted its pandemic ban on nonessential travel to Seoul after keeping the city off-limits more than three months.
U.S. Forces Korea did away with the ban on Thursday, according to a news release. The command is responsible for about 28,500 service members, along with civilian employees, contractors and their families.
USFK reminded its population to adhere to all South Korean rules and regulations aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. “USFK will continue to monitor and assess the COVID environment and will make additional adjustments to protect the force and our mission,” the release said.
Stars & Stripes
You can read more at the link.
Please leave anything you want to discuss in the comments section.
North Korea needs a viable ICBM threat to pressure the US in any future negotiations. Is it far fetched to believe that the Biden administration could drop sanctions in return for a freeze on their ICBM program? If offered the Kim regime would probably likely take it because they get to keep their nukes and shorter and medium range missiles to target the ROK and Japan. The money from dropping sanctions can then be used to further modernize their nuclear and ballistic missile programs:
North Korea said Friday that it successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), called the Hwasong-17, the previous day on the direct order of its leader Kim Jong-un.
Making an on-site inspection of the test, Kim stressed his country would be “fully ready for long-standing confrontation with the U.S. imperialists,” according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim was quoted as adding, “The new strategic weapon of the DPRK would make the whole world clearly aware of the power of our strategic armed forces once again.” DPRK stands for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
