Second Lieutenant Alwi Al Hadad: From Repeated Failures to the TNI's Cyber Defence Fortress

Behind the smart service uniform of Second Lieutenant (Letda) Alwi Al Hadad lies a story of extraordinary perseverance. Alwi, the first TNI officer now serving as the Head of the Data Protection Unit (Satuan Perlindungan Data) in the TNI Headquarters Cyber Command, is living proof that one’s campus origins and past failures do not determine their ultimate future.

Alwi’s dream of becoming a TNI soldier did not come out of nowhere; it had been his aspiration since childhood. Upon graduating from high school, he attempted to join the TNI but had to swallow the bitter pill of failure three times in a row.

He tried everything, from eye surgery to fitting braces, to meet the strict physical standards. However, luck had not yet favoured him at that time.

“We (Alwi and his family) were quite desperate at that point. We had the eye surgery, which cost quite a bit, but it turned out it wasn’t our fate yet,” Alwi recalled.

Amid that despair, his parents’ support became his strength to keep moving forward. He decided to pursue higher education first, enrolling in the Informatics programme at Nusa Mandiri University (UNM).

Cultural Leap: From Pesantren to Lines of Code

The transition from the pesantren world to the field of information technology (IT) in UNM’s Informatics programme posed its own challenges for Alwi. As an alumnus of a madrasah aliyah, he felt left behind compared to his university peers from vocational high schools specialising in computers.

However, Alwi is not the type to give up easily. He sacrificed his free time and play to catch up by self-studying through online channels, campus modules, and Digital Talent training from the ministry.

Indeed, fate follows; studying at UNM provided him with full support from his lecturers, especially when he wanted to pursue professional certifications outside campus, and that became a turning point for his confidence.

From a young man who once felt he had chosen the “wrong major” because he was dizzy looking at lines of code, Alwi began transforming into one of the top students in his field.

Balancing Cyber Mind and Military Physique

As someone who grew up in an IT environment in the end, Alwi does not deny the stereotype of “IT kids” tending to be introverted, spending hours comfortably in front of a computer screen.

He once experienced what he called the “very strong mattress gravity,” referring to the laziness in physical activity that often afflicts those accustomed to working at computers.

However, the military world, as we know, demands drastic change. Entering the TNI environment as a career officer required him to adapt quickly to the traditions of discipline and rigorous physical training.

From initially being shocked by the lifestyle change, Alwi gradually shifted his perspective. He now views physical training not as a burden, but as a balance to his mental workload in the cyber unit.

“Body tired, brain tired too. So I just enjoy it, consider it for maintaining health. Back when I was a civilian, I would play on the computer all the time and rarely exercise. Now it’s more balanced,” he said.

Conquering the Fierce Competition of TNI’s Career Officer Path

Efforts never betray results; a golden opportunity came through the TNI Career Officer (PA PK) path, which Alwi fully utilised to pursue his desire to join the TNI.

The competition in this path is extremely fierce. Alwi had to compete against around 3,000 applicants from various elite and renowned universities in Indonesia.

With the skills he honed during his studies at UNM, which is known as a Digital Business Campus, Alwi performed impressively.

He achieved first place in his group in the initial assessment phase with a score of 96, while the average passing score was 80. In the end, he was selected as one of 50 people who passed to the final round and was officially commissioned as an officer.

This success birthed a principle he always holds dear: “Don’t live under the big name of the campus, but we who must bring the campus’s name to life.” For him, individual quality and real skills speak much louder in the field than mere alma mater labels.

Contributions and Future Vision

Now stationed at TNI Headquarters, Alwi holds strategic responsibilities in testing and securing military data security systems before they are published. However, his dedication does not stop at his uniform.

Even as an alumnus, he continues to contribute to his alma mater, serving as Chairman of the Cyber Security Community at UNM, namely NMCC (Nusa Mandiri Cyber Community). Alwi has a vision to keep sharing knowledge.

He wants to raise public awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and help his junior students at the campus develop strong competencies in the IT world.

The story of Second Lieutenant Alwi Al Hadad is a reminder to every young person: that the comfort zone is the enemy of progress, and failure is merely a “system update” process towards greater success.