The is one of five active Armies of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. It is headquartered in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture. Its responsibility is the defense of Kyūshū and Okinawa. Organization Western Army, in Kumamoto 4th Division, in Kasuga, responsible for the defense of the Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Ōita and Saga prefectures 8th Division, in Kumamoto, responsible for the defense of the Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures 15th Brigade, in Naha, responsible for the defense of Okinawa Prefecture 2nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade, in Iizuka 3rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, in Iizuka (Type 03 Chū-SAM, MIM-23 Hawk) 7th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, in Ōmura (Type 03 Chū-SAM, MIM-23 Hawk) 304th Observation Battery, in Iizuka 5th Engineer Brigade, in Ogōri 2nd Engineer Group (Construction), in Iizuka 9th Engineer Group (Construction), in Ogōri 103rd Equipment Company, in Ogōri 303rd Amphibious Company, in Ogōri 305th Vehicle Company, in Ogōri Western Army Combined (Training) Brigade, in Kurume 19th Infantry Regiment, in Kasuga 24th Infantry Regiment, in Ebino 5th Basic Training Battalion, in Kurume 113th Training Battalion, in Kirishima 118th Training Battalion, in Kurume Western Army Artillery, in Yufu 5th Surface-to-Surface Missile Regiment, in Kumamoto (Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile) 132nd Special Artillery Battalion, in Yufu (M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System) 302nd Observation Battery, in Yufu Western Army Field Artillery Regiment, in Kumamoto 1st Artillery Battalion, in Kumamoto, with two batteries of FH-70 155mm towed howitzers 2nd Artillery Battalion, in Kusu, with two batteries of FH-70 155mm towed howitzers 3rd Artillery Battalion, in Ebino, with two batteries of FH-70 155mm towed howitzers 4th Artillery Battalion, in Kurume, with three batteries of FH-70 155mm towed howitzers Western Army Aviation Group, in Mashiki 3rd Anti-tank Helicopter Battalion, in Mashiki Western Army Helicopter Battalion, in Mashiki Western Army Meteorological Company, in Mashiki Logistic Support Battalion, in Mashiki Western Army Logistic Support Troops, in Yoshinogari Western Army Signal Group, in Kumamoto Western Army Medical Service, in Kumamoto Western Army Military Intelligence, in Kumamoto Kyūshū Logistic Depot, in Yoshinogari History In August 2010, a proposal was being considered by the then Japanese government to convert a conventional [battalion strength] regiment from either the 8th Division or the 15th Brigade into a "US-style" amphibious unit, effectively giving the Western Army a battalion of marines for dealing with contingencies. This proposal seems have been shelved or fallen into limbo in the interim. As of June 2013, as part of an ongoing expansion of defense capabilities in the Western