If you’ve ever been to Japan – or know someone who enjoys Japanese cuisine – you may have been lucky enough to try some of its signature curry.
For members of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force, that luck can be enjoyed on a regular basis, as ships and bases often dish out curry at meals – yet the luck ran out for half a dozen service members recently, who were suspended for helping themselves to free curry they weren’t allowed to have.
An officer at Hachinohe Air Base was rapped over the knuckles for eating free curry from the mess hall every Friday for three years, despite the fact that unless they are living in the barracks or stationed on a vessel docked at the base – of which he was neither – personnel are expected to pay for their meals.
“People have been doing what they call ‘tasting’ since before I was posted to this base. I didn’t think it was a serious breach of regulations,” he protested.
Nonetheless, the SDF handed him a five-day suspension, along with similar punishments for five other delinquent curry enthusiasts; according to Sora News, they may also be required to forfeit their pay for the days they had free lunches.
Let this be a sobering lesson to all: don’t dine and dash, or you might end up before a military tribunal.
