The last batch of Ground Self-Defense Force troops touched down on Japanese soil Tuesday, wrapping up the country's humanitarian mission in Iraq, its biggest and most dangerous overseas deployment since World War II.
About 280 GSDF troops arrived at Tokyo's Haneda airport by plane from Kuwait, Defense Agency spokesman Hirokazu Shirota said. They were the last of three flights bringing the troops back.
The arrival ends 2 1/2 years of noncombat, humanitarian work in Samawah in support of the U.S.-led coalition. The mission helped raise Japan's international profile and strengthen ties with its biggest ally, the United States, but also tested the limits of the Constitution and was criticized at home.