Hadi Waluyo named Kostrad commander

Hadi Waluyo named Kostrad commander

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After leaving the post vacant for more than two months, the
Indonesian Military (TNI) appointed Lt. Gen. Hadi Waluyo as
commander of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad)
on Monday.

Hadi, currently commander of the Military Education and
Training Command (Kodiklat) in Bandung, West Java, was a
classmate of former Kostrad commander Lt. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, who
retired on Aug. 5, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of
55.

The post has been vacant since then and, pending the
appointment of a new commander, Kostrad was put directly under
Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, who was appointed acting TNI
chief following the resignation of Gen. Endriartono Sutarto from
that post early in October.

According to Col. D.J. Nachrowi of the TNI's information
department, the appointment of Hadi and 65 other high- and
middle-ranking military officers from the Army, Navy and Air
Force was signed by Endriartono, whose retirement and replacement
is being discussed in the House of Representatives (DPR).

Hadi will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Kornel Simbolon as Kodiklat
commander.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Safzen Nurdin, currently commander of the
Navy's Education and Training Command (Kodik AL), was appointed
as commander of the Marine Corps. His post as commander of Kodik
AL will be filled by Commodore Waldi Murad.

"The current reshuffle does not involve regional military
commanders," Nachrowi said, without elaborating.

Bibit left his post as Kostrad commander on Aug. 5, without
the Army naming a successor. Gen. Ryamizard has been Kostrad
chief since then.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a private meeting last
Friday with Endriartono, during which the President allegedly
expressed his deep concern over the post's prolonged vacancy.

Hadi -- who was also a classmate of the incumbent Cabinet
Secretary Lt. Gen. (ret) Sudi Silalahi and former Indonesian
Military Police chief Maj. Gen. (ret) Sulaiman A.B. -- was posted
as Tanjungpura Military commander overseeing Kalimantan province
up until 2002.

Kostrad has no less the 29,000 troops, making it the military
unit with the most troops. Both former authoritarian leader
Soeharto and former presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto
once led the unit.