Old soldiers never die
The alumni reunion of the Army's Staff and Command School in Bandung last weekend was an anticlimax when set against the huge media publicity that it had drawn. The absence of big names, particularly of President Soeharto and former defense chief Abdul Haris Nasution, took away some of the expected glitter. The meeting between the 1951 to 1960 alumni and current active officers was held behind closed doors. A brief statement that was read out at the end was too vague to give any clue to the range of topics discussed or the atmosphere of the occasion. Few details emerged, such as the decision to reevaluate soldiers' Sapta Marga (Seven Oaths) in connection with the military's sociopolitical role. No doubt more details will come out in the coming days.
Understandably, the meeting had generated huge interest and high expectations when it was first announced late last year. The school, known as SSKAD in the 1950s and now as Seskoad, produced many of the country's past and present great leaders, not only in the military, but also in the government. Seskoad is also known for two seminars it held in 1965 and 1966, which produced the concepts that laid the foundation of the current New Order administration.
Soeharto and Nasution are the two most prominent SSKAD graduates still alive. But there are other names like Soemitro, M. Jusuf, Kemal Idris, Kharis Suhud and Wahono, who contributed to the development of the nation in no insignificant amount.
Some of these graduates, such as Nasution, Soemitro and Kemal Idris, have become vocal critics of the government since they left public office. Given their advanced ages, one could assume that their criticism came out of a genuine concern for the state of the nation, rather than from personal ambitions.
True to Douglas MacArthur's spirit of "old soldiers never die", many SSKAD alumni continue to contribute to the nation in their private lives. Some have contributed to various lively political discourses as the nation strives to strengthen its democracy. No longer bound by the Army's hierarchical structures, these old soldiers have been able to speak their minds.
In an endless discourse about the Armed Forces' sociopolitical role, they are in a unique position because they have been on both sides of the fence. As people who once carried out the military's "dual role" (in defense and politics), they are knowledgeable about the advantages, as well as the shortcomings, of the concept. These old soldiers do not, by any means, speak with one voice. But that is the essence of democracy.
They are also in a position to recommend the precise role that the Armed Forces should play, from being a driving force in national development into taking a back seat to allow civilians a greater role and initiative. The military no longer has sole claim to being the only professionally run organization as it did between the 1960s and 1980s. The growth of the corporate world has shown that Indonesian business leaders are just as adept in their decisions, which affect the life of the nation.
As the Armed Forces continually reassesses its role in the face of a changing political environment, it would serve active officers well to consult with the veterans every now and then. The SSKAD reunion last weekend may not have lived up to public and media expectations, but the tradition of seeking wisdom from old soldiers must be continued.