ABRI officers get degree

JAKARTA: Two senior Army officers have been awarded a doctorate degree from the United States' Westminster University.

Maj. Gen. Bambang Soembodo and Col. Slamet Suharsa Padmosutoyo were the first Indonesian Armed Forces members to receive a degree from the university, a military spokesman said here Saturday.

The men presented their scientific oration in Jakarta Friday night.

Soembodo was logistics assistant to the chief for general affairs and is now senior officer for special tasks at the Armed Forces Headquarters, according to Antara.

His scientific oration, titled "Logistics of the Future: Concepts and Precepts," was warmly received by the audience, which included Westminster University President Prof. Ronald Wilson and Dr. Subandono, the university's representative coordinator in Indonesia.

Bambang, 54, said logistics had not been adequately taught in Indonesia, especially in the military educational institutions,

He suggested better logistics training to keep pace with technological progress.

Bambang finished training at the Military Academy in Magelang in 1965, attended Army command and logistics schools in the United States and the National Defense Institute in 1991.

He obtained an MBA degree in 1992 and graduated from political science at the Open University in 1996.