ABRI reshuffles more senior army generals
ABRI reshuffles more senior army generals
JAKARTA (JP): Maj. Gen. Wiranto, the current chief of the Jakarta Regional Military Command, has been appointed to head the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) in another major reshuffling of the military's top leadership.
ABRI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono announced that Wiranto will replace Maj. Gen. Tarub, who is being considered for an ambassadorial post.
Wiranto's current post, which carries the major responsibility of overseeing the security of the nation's capital, will go to Brig. Gen. Sutiyoso, currently the chief of staff of the Jakarta Regional Military Command.
Wiranto's appointment came as a major surprise for senior military officers, who have repeatedly said that all the regional military command chiefs in the country would be maintained until after the 1997 election.
No explanation was given for 49-year-old Wiranto's appointment.
Although the move is seen as a promotion, he is moving from a high profile job to one of less public visibility.
The announcement comes only a few days after the last military reshuffle, which appointed Rear Admiral Arief Kushariadi to Navy Chief of Staff, Rear Marshal Sutria Tubagus to Air Force Chief of Staff and Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo to National Police Chief. The three men will be sworn by President Soeharto at the State Palace today.
Soeyono said Wiranto will be sworn in as Kostrad chief before ABRI holds its annual leadership meeting on March 25.
Promotion
Wiranto will also have his rank promoted, making him the first Kostrad chief to hold the rank of lieutenant general. In the past, the position has been held by major generals.
"This is a one-off case," Soeyono said when asked if all Kostrad chiefs in the future would hold lieutenant general rank.
Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung was questioned last week by legislators about the presence of three Army lieutenant generals who are jobless: Soerjadi, Sofian Effendi and Moch. Ma'ruf. His staff responded that Soerjadi will concentrate on his job in the Badminton Association of Indonesia, Sofian will soon assume the post as governor of the National Resilience Institute and Ma'ruf will be given an ambassadorial post.
Tarub, 54, will also be promoted to lieutenant general. He is reportedly being considered for an ambassadorial post in Papua New Guinea.
Wiranto is a 1968 graduate of the National Military Academy.
He began his military career in 1969 as a platoon commander in Manado, North Sulawesi, and spent the following 14 years in the province. He moved to the Army's Infantry Weapon Center from 1984 to 1985 and was given a commanding post in Kostrad from 1985 to 1989.
He served as President Soeharto's adjutant between 1989 and 1993, as chief of staff of the Jakarta military command in 1993 and in 1994 became chief of the Jakarta military command.
His successor, Sutiyoso, is also 49 years old and a 1969 Military Academy graduate.
Sutiyoso built his military career in the Army's special force, Kopassus, and moved to Kostrad in 1988. He returned to Kopassus as deputy chief between 1992 and 1993, and was then made chief of Bogor military command. In December he became chief of staff of the Jakarta Military Command.
Sutiyoso's successor as chief of staff is Yudhoyono, a 1973 graduate of the Military Academy. His last position was as head of the Indonesian team of military observers to Bosnia- Herzegovina. (rms/04)
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