ABRI now open to shortsighted youths

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces Academy (AKABRI) has opened its doors to youths who are shortsighted, but they are unlikely to receive any combat experience.

Rear Marshal FX Suwarno, the academy's commander general, said beginning this year, the military college will accept high school graduates with shortsightedness of up to minus 0.5.

They are however subject to a higher scholastic qualification, and must have a minimum NEM (total score to pass high school) of 42, compared to only 38 for those with normal eyesight.

Suwarno was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying that, in any case, not all recruits are sent to the battlefields.

Those who do not qualify for combat could be employed as staff or in laboratories. "So it doesn't matter if they wear eyeglasses."

The academy oversees the Army College, the Navy College, the Air Force College and the National Police College.

The Army and Navy colleges beginning next year will accept high school graduates who took social studies, but they too will not be given combat assignments and will be employed for administrative purposes, Suwarno said.

Previously, the two colleges insisted only on graduates who took exact and natural sciences.

The police college has already opened its doors to social studies graduates, while the Air Force says it rarely employs anyone in administration, and therefore will only recruit graduates exact and natural sciences studies.

Suwarno also announced that President Soeharto today is scheduled to swear in 729 cadets who graduate from the four academies. The ceremony will be held on the ground of the State Palace.

They consisted of 252 cadets from the Army Academy, 148 from the Navy Academy, 102 from the Air Force Academy and 227 from the Police Academy. All will be given second lieutenant ranks. (emb)