Indonesia special force now gets a new commander<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Kopassus (Special Command Force), the Army's
\nmost fearsome unit, now has a new commander in the latest major
\nreshuffle of the Armed Forces' top leadership.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Subagyo Hari Siswoyo, 48, is no stranger to the
\nelite red beret force. He began his military career and spent a
\ngreat deal of time with the group. He also served in military
\nintelligence.<\/p>\n
Subagyo, who replaces Brig. Gen. Agum Gumelar, was formally
\ninducted on Saturday at Kopassus's headquarters in Cijantung,
\nEast Jakarta in a military ceremony presided over by Army Chief
\nof Staff Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar.<\/p>\n
Most former Kopassus chiefs have gone on to even higher
\nmilitary posts. Wismoyo was himself chief of the force at one
\nstage. Agum has been reassigned as chief of staff at the Bukit
\nBarisan Military Command which oversees security in the northern
\npart of Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Wismoyo reminded the Kopassus troopers that they have to be
\nconstantly ready for deployment in any part of the country to
\nmaintain national security.<\/p>\n
For this, they must continue with their mental and physical
\ntraining, he said.<\/p>\n
Kopassus has been at the forefront of most of the military's
\ncrucial operations in the past, including crushing the communist
\nforces following their abortive coup attempt in 1965, and in
\nputting down various rebellions, including in Irian Jaya, Aceh
\nand East Timor.<\/p>\n
It was a Kopassus team that stormed a Garuda Indonesia
\nairliner which had been hijacked by Moslem extremists to Bangkok
\nin 1981.<\/p>\n
Subagyo was a member of that team and he along with the other
\nteam members were awarded an immediate rank promotion upon their
\nreturn.<\/p>\n
Hailing from Yogyakarta, Subagyo, joined Kopassus upon
\ngraduating from the Military Academy in 1970. He served the force
\nfor the next 14 years.<\/p>\n
He was recruited into the presidential security guard command
\nfrom 1986 to 1988. Between 1988 and April of this year he served
\nin the Armed Forces' intelligence agency. He served five months
\nin the Army's Security and Code Division before being appointed
\nto head Kopassus. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-special-force-now-gets-a-new-commander-1447893297",
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