Jayakarta Student Regiment Emphasises Role of Supporting Components in National Defence
The Jayakarta Student Regiment (Menwa) officially marked its 64th anniversary on 15 May 2026. This historic moment served as a period of reflection and a reaffirmation of the organisation’s strategic position as a civilian defence entity and a gatherer of state defence strength within higher education environments.
To express gratitude for its long service since its founding on 15 May 1962, the Jayakarta Student Regiment Command held its 64th anniversary peak celebration at the Skomen Jayakarta Hall in East Jakarta. The event was attended by alumni, senior members across generations, and hundreds of active Menwa members from dozens of universities across Jakarta, West Java, and Banten.
The Commander of Menwa Jayakarta, Lt. Col. Chk Andi Putu Hamka, expressed pride in the organisation’s consistency in remaining steadfast through various eras following the 1998 Reformation. “Today is a very sacred day for all of us. 64 years is not a short time for the Student Regiment. If compared to human age, this is a very mature age with various experiences, challenges, joys, and sorrows,” Putu stated in a press release on Monday (18/5).
Putu highlighted the resilience of Menwa Jayakarta, which has maintained independence since 1998, despite changes in structural training policies and state budget support. While many similar organisations struggled to survive after losing these instruments, Menwa Jayakarta successfully broke that trend. “For 26 years, Menwa has been independent from previous training patterns, yet Menwa Jaylarakarta still stands strong. Even our command headquarters, which was once only a two-storey building, has now developed into a representative five-storey building. This has been achieved thanks to the sincere support of seniors, alumni, and leaders in various government and private institutions,” he added.
Historically, Menwa cadres have been actively involved in various national assignments, ranging from the suppression of the PKI to Operation Seroja in East Timor, and the Garuda Peacekeeping Missions in Congo and Sinai. Regarding modern regulations, Putu noted the strategic position of Menwa following the enactment of Law Number 23 of 2019 concerning the Management of National Resources for State Defence (PSDN), which designates Menwa as a Supporting Component of National Defence.
The Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Adam Fakhrian, outlined the series of activities conducted leading up to the peak event. These included community service projects such as repairing public parks, renovating places of worship, and visiting Heroes’ Cemeteries as a form of respect for the nation’s history. Additionally, the committee organised sports competitions and a National Menwa Reaction Shooting Competition, which featured 30 top teams from across Indonesia.
“We are very proud and grateful that all these activities could be carried out independently based on the militancy of our members and the extraordinary moral support from the government, private sector, and community leaders, despite operating without a specific budget allocation,” concluded Adam.