ABRI reshuffles another hundred senior officers
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) announced yesterday a reshuffle affecting more than 100 senior officers in all four services, including the reassignment of onetime rising star Maj. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono.
ABRI Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Amir Syarifudin told Antara that Hendro would be recalled to ABRI headquarters, pending a new assignment in a civilian position.
Amir did not elaborate, but Suara Pembaruan daily reported yesterday that Hendro, currently chief of the Army Training School in Bandung, will be given the post of secretary for development operations, a strategic position under the supervision of the State Secretariat.
Some military analysts said the new civilian post would end his military career. Hendro is currently 51 years old; the mandatory retirement age for military officers is 55 years.
A 1967 graduate of the Military Academy, Hendro was once regarded as one of the Army's most promising rising stars when he became the youngest ever chief of a regional military command. He became chief of the Jakarta Regional Military Command at the age of 48 in 1993.
Latest reshuffle
Amir said the latest reshuffle in the military affects 108 senior officers. As stipulated in a Sept. 16 decree by ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung, 52 Army officers, 24 Navy officers, 13 Air Force officers, and 19 officers of the National Police are being moved.
Another major important change, announced Saturday, was the replacement of the current assistant to the chief of sociopolitical affairs, Maj. Gen. Suwarno Adiwijoyo, who is nearing the mandatory retirement age of 55.
He will be replaced by his deputy, Brig. Gen. Budi Harsono, who will become the new assistant to Lt. Gen. Syarwan Hamid. Suwarno will be recalled to the armed forces headquarters before he retires.
The commandant of the Bandung-based Infantry Weapons Center, Maj. Gen. Rachmad Mokoginta, is also being moved as he too is preparing for his retirement. He will be replaced by his deputy Brig. Gen. Luhut Panjaitan.
Changes in the Navy include the reassignment of Maj. Gen. (Marine) Gafur Chalik, currently aide to the ABRI chief, to the Navy headquarters to prepare for his retirement.
Commodore Freddy Numberi, currently aide to the navy Chief of Staff, will be assigned as Chief of the Fifth Sea Born Command based in Irian Jaya, and Brig. Gen. (Marine) Benyamin Balukh, will be assigned as deputy chief of the Armed Forces School of Command.
In the Air Force, Rear Marshall Sadeli Kalman, chief of the Air Force's Maintenance Division will be replaced by Commodore Syaiful Kartimunaf.
In the National Police, Brig. Gen. Soerpadi will be assigned as the new director for operational education at the National Resilience Institute, replacing Brig. Gen. I Wayan Karya. (imn)