Navy, Air Force chiefs get Kopassus honor

Navy, Air Force chiefs get Kopassus honor

BANDUNG, West Java (JP): The Army's Special Force (Kopassus)
conferred its honorary command badge on Navy Chief Admiral Arief
Kusharyadi and Air Force Chief Marshall Sutria Tubagus yesterday
for their service in forging cooperation with the red berets.

The awards ceremony, presided by Army Chief Gen. Subagyo
Hadisiswoyo, was held at Kopassus Group 3 headquarters in
Batujajar, near here.

Arief and Sutria had to trek for an hour through a muddy path
with 16 hurdles as a compulsory part of the ceremony.

After finishing the run, the two were awarded the command
badge. They then donned the elite force's red berets and command
knives.

Subagyo said after the ceremony that the awarding of command
badge was to honor the good cooperation between the two forces
and Kopassus.

"The Air Force has helped Kopassus in air logistics while the
Navy has given many contributions to Kopassus at sea," he said.

Asked whether Police Chief. Gen. Dibyo Widodo would also get
the award, Subagyo reiterated that the decoration was conferred
only to high-ranking military officials who provided services to
the Army's special force.

Subagyo also awarded Kopassus' air guide decoration to several
high-ranking military officers. Included among them were Chief of
Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Suharto, Chief of the Air Force School of
Staff and Command Rear Marshall Juju Juanda and Army Inspector
General Nurdin Yusuf.

The special force recently awarded former minister of defense
and security Gen. (ret) Maraden Panggabean with honorary
membership for his meritorious service to the force in the past.
(43)