Jakarta garrison gets a new chief

Jakarta garrison gets a new chief

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Chief Maj. Gen. Wiranto yesterday installed Brig. Gen. Noerdin Yusuf as the new chief of staff of the Jakarta Garrison, replacing Maj. Gen. Yusuf Kartanegara.

Noerdin, an old hand in military intelligence, will be largely in charge of maintaining the discipline of troopers posted in Jakarta.

"I have confidence that the general will be able to carry out the task," Wiranto said when he inducted Noerdin. He added that the two of them went back together to their days at the National Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java.

Both Wiranto and Noerdin belong to the Academy's Class of 1968.

After the ceremony yesterday, Noerdin received congratulations from friends and colleagues, not only for his new appointment but also for his 51st birthday.

Noerdin, who hails from Aceh, was previously inspector at the Trikora Military Command which is based in Jayapura, Irian Jaya. His previous stints include assistant for intelligence at the Army Strategic Reserves Command and assistant for intelligence at Kopassus, the Army's special force.

His predecessor at the Jakarta garrison, Yusuf Kartanegara, has been appointed as chief of the Diponegoro Military Command based in Semarang. Yusuf replaces Lt. Gen. Soeyono who is the chief of socio-political affairs at the Armed Forces.

The garrison is one of three such units that has been established in Indonesian cities. The other two are in Bandung and Surabaya.

Among the guests present at the ceremony yesterday were Rear Admiral Widodo, chief of staff of the Western Armada, Brig. Gen. Sutiyoso, chief of staff of the Jakarta Military Command, and Brig. Gen. Hamaminata, deputy chief of Jakarta Police. (emb)