A look at soldiers' life in Aceh

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The word "barracks" is not an unfamiliar one, and most people know it is a place where soldiers are lodged. If you have seen the 1993 film China Beach about the daily lives of Chinese soldiers, or films about the lives of U.S. soldiers during their deployment to the 1991 Gulf War, you have an impression of how soldiers live during their deployment.

What you imagine a barracks looks like is probably not too far off the mark in most cases, with one exception at least being the military barracks in Montasik, some 30 kilometers south of the Aceh provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

You would think at least twice before sending your son off to join the Indonesian Military if you were ever to set foot in this barracks.

Located in a remote area on the outskirts of Banda Aceh, it is difficult for visitors to reach the barracks, having to pass along narrow but paved roads, through paddy fields and up into the mountains.

The 20-by-20 meter barracks accommodates 30 infantrymen from the Siliwangi Military Command overseeing West Java. Prior to being used to lodge soldiers, the building was used to thrash unhusked paddy before being abandoned by its owner because of the prolonged conflict in the province.

Inside the barracks, with its collection of spider webs and a leaking roof, soldiers have to pass long days far from home and with a complete absence of any form of entertainment.

Outside the barracks, the soldiers have established three posts using sacks of sands, from where they monitor the situation around the large village nearby.

On-duty soldiers in the posts always carry their rifles in anticipation of an assault by rebels, while the caged birds they keep in the posts keep them company with their songs.

"We feel at home here, and the locals are very nice. They gave us a warm welcome. This is much better than the situation when were assigned to East Timor in the past," Second Lt. Heri, the commander of the platoon, told The Jakarta Post recently.

Inside the barracks, the soldiers sleep on black mattress set on wood frames. The frames come in all shapes and sizes, having been made according to the preference of the soldiers. And this ramshackle collection of frames lends an air of disarray to the barracks.

But all that really matters for the soldiers is comfort. The walls are adorned with photographs of their girlfriends and family. It is indeed a simple life.

"I usually go and listen to my birds sing when I start feeling lonely and start missing my family," said Heri.

Heri said that he was proud of his men for being able to overcome the lack of facilities and fill their downtime by praying, gardening and looking after their collection of pets.

Despite their isolation, the soldiers have a pile of rice and a sufficient supply of vegetables from their own garden behind the barracks.

"We grow a variety of vegetables back there." Pvt. Sa'id said, peeling a pumpkin taken from a small plot behind the sentry box.

The infantrymen, who have been deployed to Aceh for six months, get a Rp 17,500 (US$2) meal allowance every day and each man chips in Rp 5,000 to buy eggs, cooking oil and fruit. Some of the money is also spent on coffee and cigarettes, with the rest finding its way into their plastic piggy bank in the corner of the barracks.

"We have to be able to manage the pocket money, but please do not compare it with the salaries of soldiers abroad," Heri said.

The increasing violence in Aceh has created a strong sense of solidarity among the soldiers.

"Everyone must stay alert and be loyal to the commander. All things must be handled properly," said Heri.

One of the men said he had yet to see his newborn son. "My wife gave birth when we were on our way to Aceh," he said.

Heri said that during his assignment in the province, some rebels from the Free Aceh Movement contacted him by radio for friendly talks.

"I'm an Acehnese and Muslim, and I have tried to persuade them to go back to their villages to live a normal life and to help solve the Aceh problem. We use this approach because we are confident the conflict cannot be resolved with violence," he said.