Prabowo Subianto Gathers Former Aides from Kostrad and Kopassus Eras: Military Record of the President
A warm gathering at President Prabowo Subianto’s private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, on Sunday 8 March, became a moment of reflection on the President’s military career. The presence of former aides and loyalists who accompanied him since the Kostrad and Kopassus eras some 30 years ago reminded the public of his long dedication to the red berets corps.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya revealed that the meeting was filled with nostalgia. Some of them remain active as TNI soldiers, whilst others have retired. “The President always remembers those who fought alongside him,” said Teddy.
After graduating from the Military Academy in 1974, Prabowo Subianto immediately entered the field of operations. As a young officer in Kopassandha (now Kopassus), he was known as a tactical field commander. His name rose to prominence when leading Operation Seroja in East Timor, where his forces successfully ended the resistance of guerrilla leader Nicolau Lobato in 1978.
Prabowo’s career was not only about combat, but also organisational innovation. In 1983, he played a major role in establishing Detachment 81 Counter-Terrorism (Gultor), the most secretive and lethal unit in Kopassus, after studying elite forces worldwide such as Germany’s GSG-9.
As Commander-General of Kopassus in 1995, Prabowo led one of the most dramatic rescue operations in Indonesian military history: Operation Mapenduma (1996). Deep in the Papuan jungle, Kopassus forces successfully freed a research team from the Lorentz 95 Expedition who had been held hostage by a separatist group.
This success solidified Kopassus’s reputation as one of the world’s best special forces units and elevated Prabowo’s name as a general willing to take high risks for state sovereignty.
The peak of Prabowo’s structural career in the TNI came in March 1998 when he was inaugurated as Kostrad Commander. Leading tens of thousands of strategic soldiers, this position placed him at the centre of history as Indonesia faced a major political transition towards the Reformation era.
Although his military career ended in 1998, Prabowo’s dedication to national defence never waned. This was evidenced by his appointment as Defence Minister (2019-2024) before eventually being elected as Indonesia’s eighth President.
Besides Operation Mapenduma and the capture of Nicolau Lobato, Prabowo is known for modernising Kopassus training and initiating Indonesia’s first Mount Everest expedition in 1997, aimed at raising the nation’s standing on the international stage.
The meeting with former aides in 2026 serves as a reminder that for Prabowo, loyalty and camaraderie formed in the field of military duty are enduring bonds.