224 Students Participate in the Selection for the Joang 45 Building Flag-Raising Squad

Citra Ratih Indriani, Chairperson of the Alumni Association of the Joang 45 Building Flag-Raising Squad, stated that this year’s selection aims to choose the best junior high school students (grades 7 and 8) who will raise the Indonesian flag during the August 17th ceremony at the Joang 45 Museum in 2026.

“The main goal of this activity is to select the best young generation who will become the Flag-Raising Squad for the Independence Day commemoration at the Joang Building. However, more than that, we want to shape the character of children so that they have a spirit of nationalism, discipline, strong mental fortitude, and a healthy competitive spirit,” said Citra in a written statement on Sunday (May 17, 2026).

The high interest from students is evident in the number of registrants, reaching 224 students from 43 schools in Jakarta and one school from Bekasi. Of this number, 124 participants passed the administrative selection to participate in the offline selection.

The first stage of the selection, held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, was attended by 115 participants. From this stage, only 61 participants succeeded in advancing to the next stage on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

The selection stages include health checks such as blood pressure, height and weight, vision tests for nearsightedness and color blindness, and posture checks. In addition, participants also undergo tests of national insight, physical endurance such as push-ups, sit-ups, and the bleep test, as well as skills in marching drills.

According to Citra, the selection process is carried out strictly to obtain the best participants who are not only physically strong but also have good academic abilities and leadership character.

“The criteria we are looking for are participants with ideal posture, good physical ability, marching skills, and good academic ability. Because later they will be a representation of the young generation who are disciplined and have good character,” she said.

She explained that the number of participants accepted this year is fewer than in previous years because the ceremony will only be held at the Joang 45 Building. This is different from last year, which also held ceremonies at the Proclamation Monument area.

However, the enthusiasm of the participants remains high. There are even participants who come from outside Jakarta, namely Bekasi, to participate in the selection process.

A touching atmosphere was also felt during the announcement of the selection results. Of the 124 participants who took part in the offline stages, only 42 students will be selected as members of the Joang 45 Building Flag-Raising Squad for 2026.

“The most emotional moment is when the winners are announced. The children have been working hard since the administrative stage to the physical and mental tests. When their names are called out, there is a feeling of pride as well as emotion, both from the participants and their parents,” said Citra.

Participants who pass the second selection stage will participate in education and training for approximately 2.5 months. The program consists of regular training twice a week for two months and intensive training for 10 days leading up to Independence Day.

All participants who complete the education and training will be inaugurated as the Joang Building Flag-Raising Squad on August 16, 2026, before carrying out their duties of raising the Indonesian flag during the independence day ceremony the following day at the Joang Museum.

Citra added that this activity also received positive attention from the education sector because the Joang 45 Building Flag-Raising Squad certificate is recognized as one of the added values in the SPMB (State University Entrance Selection) process, specifically in the strict selection category for DKI Jakarta Province.

“This is a big motivation for participants and parents. In addition to forming disciplined and leadership characters, experience as the Joang Building Flag-Raising Squad also receives recognition in the SPMB process. This means that their efforts have a real impact on their future education,” she said.

Furthermore, the Alumni Association of the Joang 45 Building hopes that this activity can continue to be a space for fostering young generations who are able to carry the spirit of struggle from 1945 in their daily lives, both in school and in society.

“These children are expected to be examples of a young generation who are disciplined, tough, diligent, and never give up. These values are what we want to continue to cultivate through the Joang Building Flag-Raising Squad,” she concluded. (akd/ega)