Tarub inducted as new chief of Kostrad, replacing Kuntara<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad)
\nyesterday got a new chief, the 19th commandant since the force
\nwas founded in 1961.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Tarub was inducted as the new chief of the green
\nberet force in a military ceremony at Kostrad's headquarters in
\nCijantung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A commandant post in Kostrad, which supplies the Army's main
\ncombat force, has traditionally been a career enhancer. Its first
\ncommander when the force was established 33 years ago is none
\nother than Maj. Gen. Soeharto, now the Indonesian president.<\/p>\n
Others who rose to become prominent national figures include
\nUmar Wirahadikusumah, a former vice president, Wahono, the
\ncurrent Speaker of House of Representatives, Wiyogo Atmodarminto,
\na former ambassador to Japan and governor of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar oversaw the
\ntransfer of duty from the outgoing commandant, Maj. Gen. Kuntara
\nto Tarub, who was recently relieved of his post as chief of the
\nTrikora Military Command which oversees Maluku and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Kuntara himself is nearing retirement age soon but given his
\nwide military experience is expected to be given a key post in
\nthe military if not the government.<\/p>\n
Tarub, 52 years old, is a 1965 graduate of the National
\nMilitary Academy. His peers from Class '65 are also in command of
\nmany of the Army's key positions.<\/p>\n
Regarded as a true combat soldier, Tarub built his military
\ninto the Army's most fearsome unit Special Force (Kopassus),
\nlater rising to become a commandant of its airborne brigade.
\nAfter a brief territorial stint at the Trikora command, he
\nreturned to Kopassus as the deputy chief to the commandant, held
\nalso by Kuntara.<\/p>\n
When Kuntara was promoted to chief of Kostrad, Tarub was
\npromoted to Kopassus chief. Now he is again replacing Kuntara at
\nKostrad.<\/p>\n
Alert<\/p>\n
Wismoyo in his speech at the induction ceremony yesterday
\nreminded the force of the need to always maintain their
\ndiscipline and remain alert against any potential disruptions to
\nnational security and stability.<\/p>\n
Kostrad was the main striking force in many of the military's
\noperations in putting down rebellions in the past.<\/p>\n
It now consists of 23,000 troopers, divided into two
\ndivisions, one in Jakarta and another in Malang, East Java.
\nAlthough it is under the Army, its commandant receives order for
\ndeployment directly from the Armed Forces chief.<\/p>\n
It made its debut during the Trikora Operation, a campaign to
\nwin Irian Jaya, then called West Papua, from the hands of the
\nDutch colonial government. This operation also launched the young
\nSoeharto into prominence.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was called into action once again in 1965 to put down
\nthe rebellion by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).<\/p>\n
Kostrad's units also make up most of the Indonesian contingent
\nto various United Nations peacekeeping missions, including the
\nlatest one, a health detachment, to Bosnia. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tarub-inducted-as-new-chief-of-kostrad-replacing-kuntara-1447893297",
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