Ministry of Defence Halts Military Basic Training, Replaces It with National Defence and Managerial Programme
The Ministry of Defence has terminated the military basic training (latsarmil) for the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) candidates set to manage the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) and Koperasi Nelayan Merah Putih (KNMP). The training programme will now be delivered under a new system, with revised learning materials and a new name. “The Ministry of Defence is adjusting its activity approach. The terminology and implementation of activities are currently being directed towards a National Defence and Managerial Briefing Exercise, no longer Latsarmil,” said Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry’s Secretariat General, in Jakarta on Monday (30/6).
The change was made after Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin evaluated the learning system following an incident in which five latsarmil participants died. With this evaluation, Rico confirmed that physical activities and training related to military exercises will be reduced. “With these adjustments, tactical and technical military activities are being reduced, including shooting activities which are no longer part of the current training implementation,” Rico stated. “The focus of activities is directed towards building discipline, character, leadership, cooperation, responsibility, national insight, and the managerial readiness of participants as prospective cooperative managers.”
According to Rico, the Ministry of Defence will also pay attention to the participants’ health conditions to ensure the education process for the prospective cooperative managers can proceed safely and orderly. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin had previously conducted a thorough evaluation of the military basic training programme for the Koperasi Merah Putih candidate managers. “At the direction of the Minister of Defence, the organisers have carried out a comprehensive evaluation of health aspects,” said Major General TNI Ketut Gede Wetan Pastia, Head of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) at the Ministry of Defence, during a press conference at the Ministry of Defence office in Central Jakarta on Saturday (27/6).
According to Ketut, a comprehensive health check is necessary to ascertain the physical condition of the participants. Once the participants’ health conditions are known, each TNI unit acting as a latsarmil trainer must adjust the portion of physical training according to the participants’ conditions. In terms of handling, the Ministry of Defence also requested that medical treatment for sick participants be carried out quickly and maximally. Beyond health evaluations, Ketut said Sjafrie requested that an evaluation also be conducted regarding the delivery of materials during the education. “Activities are also directed to be more adaptive, educative, and attentive to the participants’ psychological conditions through learning methods that build a spirit of cooperation, problem solving, and a more enjoyable atmosphere,” he said. Thus, participants will not lose the essence of the latsarmil education, which emphasises the values of discipline and building a leadership spirit.