Army to parade new special unit on special day<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The maiden public appearance of 10 battalions of Raider combat
\ntroops will highlight the Army Day celebration in Kemayoran,
\nCentral Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
Comprising around 8,000 soldiers the new strike force have
\ncompleted six months training and will face a baptism of fire in
\nAceh, where they will fight Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels.<\/p>\n
Army chief of staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu said the
\ncelebration would be the biggest one ever.<\/p>\n
\"This will be our greatest celebration so far,\" he said on the
\nsidelines of a rehearsal for the commemoration on Friday.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard said the celebration would convey the message that
\nthe Army could hold its head high despite its low budget.<\/p>\n
\"We have always fought for the country despite our poor
\ncondition,\" he said, dismissing allegations that the celebration
\nwas related to next year's elections.<\/p>\n
The Army Day, called Hari Juang Kartika falls on Dec. 15, and
\nis observed to commemorate the battle between People's Defense
\nSoldiers (TKR), under the founding father of the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) the late Gen. Soedirman, against Allied troops in
\nAmbarawa, Central Java 58 years ago.<\/p>\n
TKR managed to fend off the Allied troops, albeit briefly
\nbetween Dec. 12, 1945 and Dec. 15, 1945, but it was considered
\nmonumental due to the fact that the Indonesian soldiers lacked
\nweaponry. The TKR was the beginnings of the Indonesian Army.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard will inaugurate the Raider battalions on Army Day,
\nthe third time it has been observed with a huge military parade.<\/p>\n
He said the Raider unit was created to be a mobile unit of the
\nArmy, which is able to respond rapidly to acts of terrorism and
\nto fight in long-term battles.<\/p>\n
\"The soldiers have been selected from members of regional
\nmilitary commands (Kodam) across the country. They have undergone
\nspecial training for six months, similar to the training of
\nKopassus soldiers,\" he said, referring to the Army's Special
\nForces.<\/p>\n
Ryamizard said the establishment of the Raider battalions cost
\nthe Army some Rp 50 billion.<\/p>\n
The new battalions are equipped with SS1-VI rifles, a
\nmodification of the SS1 produced by state-owned weapon producer
\nPindad.<\/p>\n
During the celebration, the soldiers are expected to perform
\nsome maneuvers on two Russian-made Mi-35 helicopters, which were
\nbought recently by the government.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/army-to-parade-new-special-unit-on-special-day-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}