67 senior Army officers to retire on Monday
67 senior Army officers to retire on Monday
JAKARTA (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono will lead a
military ceremony in the Central Java town of Magelang on Monday
to bid farewell to 67 retiring senior officers.
Hartono will also induct 1,000 army cadets from the National
Military Academy in Magelang, Army Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen.
Robik Mukav said yesterday.
The ceremony will coincide with the academy's 49th
anniversary.
The mandatory retirement age for an Army officer is 55.
Service can only be extended by President Soeharto, a rarely used
prerogative. Gen. Hartono and Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal
Tanjung are the only two active officers whose service has been
extended beyond retirement age.
Not all 67 retiring generals would retire from public life
although they will no longer be on active duty, Robik said.
Lt. Gen. Moetojib, currently chief of the State Intelligence
Coordinating Agency (Bakin), is the only three-star general in
the pack, he said. Another 25 hold the rank of major general and
41 are brigadier generals.
Generals who will retire from service but still hold civilian
jobs include Maj. Gen. Hadi Baroto, Deputy Attorney General for
Intelligence Affairs; Maj. Gen. Sutoyo N.K., Director General for
Social and Political Affairs at the Ministry of Home Affairs;
Maj. Gen. Iskandar Kamil, a Supreme Court judge; and Maj. Gen.
H.R. Pramono, Inspector General at the Ministry of Industry and
Trade.
Robik said preparations were continuing for a meeting between
active and retired Army officers next month.
The date will be decided by the chief of the Army Staff and
Command College where the meeting will be held, he said.
Gen. Hartono proposed the meeting because more and more
retired senior Army officers have openly criticized the political
situation and the Army's role in politics.
About 200 retired officers from different generations,
including the first graduates of the college, will attend the
meeting.
The invitation list is limited to college alumni. The Army
has invited A.H. Nasution, the oldest living retired Army
general, to come as an observer, Robik said.
The meeting was originally planned for this month but many
retired officers were not available at short notice, he said.
Prominent retired Army officials Gen. (ret.) Soemitro, former
chief of the powerful Internal Security Agency (Kopkamtib) and
former Minister of Defense Gen. (ret) M. Yusuf are expected to
attend.
Robik said the meeting would hear suggestions for improving
the Army from retired officers. "We, as their juniors, will
listen carefully and take note of their suggestions," he said.
(imn)