Extensive military reshuffle

JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces (ABRI) unveiled yesterday a massive leadership reshuffle in the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Police.

Armed Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet Supriadi told a press conference yesterday that the reshuffle affected 298 high-ranking officials in the four military corps.

He said a decree on the reshuffle had been signed by Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung on July 14. He did not say when the transfer of duties would occur.

The reshuffle saw major changes in the Navy, Air Force and National Police with the establishment of the positions of deputy chief of staff, just like in the Army.

Rear Admiral Widodo A.S. will be appointed Deputy Navy Chief of Staff and promoted to vice admiral. Rear Marshal Djatmiko S. will be appointed Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff and promoted to vice marshall. Maj. Gen. Lutfi Dahlan will be appointed Deputy National Police Chief and promoted to lieutenant general.

The reshuffle also includes the appointment of Rear Admiral Suratmin as the Armed Forces' inspector general. He is now assistant for operational affairs to the Armed Forces chief of general affairs. Suratmin will replace Vice Admiral Soegiyono, who will be given a non-military task.

Maj. Gen. Yusuf Kartanegara, incumbent assistant for intelligence affairs to the Armed Forces chief of general affairs, will be replaced by Commodore Yuswaji.

Yuswaji is spokesman for Ministry of Defense Foreign Relation Affairs. Yusuf will be given a non-military task.

Another major change is the appointment of Maj. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono, now chief of the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command, as assistant to the Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical Affairs. He will replace Maj. Gen. Budi Harsono, who will be given a non-military task.

The Army's Inspector General Maj. Gen. Muzani Syukur will replace Maj. Gen. Purwantono as Commandant-General of the National Military Academy. Purwantono will be given a non- military task at the Army's Kartika Eka Paksi Foundation.

Intelligence affairs

ABRI spokesman Supriadi will replace Berty Ekel, who is deputy assistant for intelligence affairs to the Armed Forces' chief of general affairs commodore. Ekel will be assigned as assistant to the Navy chief of staff for security affairs.

On the Army reshuffle, Supriadi said Maj. Gen. Nurdin Yusuf, now deputy commander of the Army's Strategic and Reserves Command (Kostrad), would replace Muzani Syukur as the Army's inspector- general.

Brig. Gen. Rizal Nurdin, now deputy chief of the Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command, will replace his superior Maj. Gen. Sedaryanto, who will enter the House of Representatives.

Brig. Gen. Suadi Atma, now deputy commander of the Trikora Regional Military Command, will fill in the position left vacant by Susilo Bambang Yudoyono as the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command chief.

Maj. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, now chief of the Strategic and Reserves Command's 2nd Division, will replace Maj. Gen. Tayo Tarmadi as chief of the Siliwangi Regional Military Command. Tayo will become a House legislator.

Brig. Gen. Djadja Suparman, now deputy chief of the Sriwijaya Regional Military Command, will replace Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo. Imam will become a House legislator.

Brig. Gen. Muhdi P.R., now deputy chief of the Brawijaya Regional Military Command, will replace Maj. Gen. Namuri Anoem S. as chief of the Tanjung Pura Regional Military Command. Namuri will join Sedaryanto, Tayo and Imam at the House of Representatives.

Brig. Gen. Syahrir M.S., now deputy chief of the Udayana Regional Military Command, will replace his superior Maj. Gen. Abdul Rivai. Rivai will also join the Armed Forces faction in the House.

Maj. Gen. Luhut Panjaitan, now commandant of the Infantry Weapons Center, will become chief of the Army's Training Center. He will replace Maj. Gen. Achfas Mufti, who has gained an administrative job at the Army headquarters.

In the Navy, Rear Admiral Bambang Purwadi B.S. will become assistant to Navy chief of staff for operational affairs.

In the Air Force, Rear Marshal I Gede Sudhana will become assistant for security affairs to the Air Force chief of staff. He is now assistant to the Air Force chief of staff for operational affairs.

Rear Marshal Irawan Saleh will become assistant to the Air Force chief of staff for operational affairs. Irawan was the commander of National Air Defense.

In National Police, Brig. Gen. I.G.N. Koes Suyudono will become assistant to the police chief for intelligence affairs, while Maj. Gen. Muharsipin will become assistant to the police chief for operational affairs.

West Java's police chief, Maj. Gen. Nana Permana, has been appointed police inspector general, while National Police Spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi will become commander of the police investigation force. (imn)

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