30,000 Prospective Cooperative Managers Begin Military Training

The Ministry of Defence officially commenced the Education and Training for Undergraduate Drivers of Indonesian Development (SPPI) programme on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, preparing participants to become managers of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives and Merah Putih Fishermen’s Villages. The military training will last for 45 days until 31 July 2026.

According to the Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence’s Secretariat General, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, a total of 35,476 prospective managers are participating in the training. This figure comprises 30,000 prospective managers for the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives and 5,476 for the Merah Putih Fishermen’s Villages.

Rico stated that these thousands of participants will receive basic military training for the reserve component, combined with managerial training and competencies tailored to the needs of cooperative and fishermen’s village management. “The training is planned to be held at 67 educational units spread across Indonesia,” he said in a written statement on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

According to Rico, during the first 30 days of training, participants will be trained in discipline and national defence. Afterwards, participants will undergo 15 days of managerial training. “This managerial training is arranged together with the relevant technical ministries,” he said.

At the opening ceremony held at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, the Head of the Defence Human Resources Development Agency at the Ministry of Defence, Major General Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, stated that this military training system is the government’s effort to prepare human resources who possess character, integrity, discipline, and a leadership spirit.

Through basic military education and managerial provision, he said, participants are expected to become drivers of community economic development and strengthen national resilience. “This programme is expected to produce graduates who are adaptive, innovative, and ready to serve the nation,” he said, as quoted from the Ministry of Defence’s written statement on Wednesday, 18 July 2026.