Shahrir replaces Muchdi as Kopassus commander

Shahrir replaces Muchdi as Kopassus commander

JAKARTA (JP): The Army's Special Force (Kopassus) got a new
commander yesterday when Maj. Gen. Syahrir M.S. replaced Maj.
Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono as head of the unit in a ceremony led
by Army Chief of Staff Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.

The ceremony was held in the Flamboyant Room in the elite
unit's headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta. Those attending
the ceremony were mostly Army officials, including Army
Inspector-General Maj. Gen. Nurdin Yusuf.

Muchdi was appointed Kopassus commander in March. He replaced
Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto, who was promoted to commander of the
Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

Another transfer of duty took place in Bandung, West Java,
yesterday when Brig. Gen. Poerwadi was installed as the new chief
of the Siliwangi Military Command which oversees West Java.

Poerwadi replaced Maj. Gen. Djamari Chaniago, who was
installed as the commander of Kostrad on Saturday. The ceremony
for Poerwadi was held at Siliwangi Military Command headquarters
and chaired by Deputy Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sugiono.

Syahrir is a 1971 Akabri graduate, while Muchdi is his senior
by one year. It has been reported that Muchdi will soon become
ABRI's deputy inspector-general.

Syahrir is not a new face in Kopassus. He spent many years in
the elite force before being transferred in 1992. He was formerly
Assistant for Personnel, and later Assistant for Operations to
the Kopassus' Commander.

Poerwadi was Syahrir's classmate in Akabri.

Other prominent 1971 Akabri graduates are Deputy Army Chief of
Staff Lt. Gen. Sugiono, and Maj. Gen. Sang Nyoman Suwisma, who is
Chief of the Tanjungpura Regional Military Command which oversees
the four Kalimantan provinces.

In his address at both ceremonies, Subagyo said the Kopassus
chief and the Commander of the Siliwangi Regional Military
Command both played significant roles in the country's military
affairs.

"Kopassus has proven its supremacy in various military
operations across the country," he said while addressing the
ceremony at the Kopassus' headquarters in Cijantung.

"The Siliwangi Regional Military Command, which oversees West
Java excluding Bekasi and Tangerang regencies, is significant not
only because its area borders Jakarta, but because it guards the
State Capital's hinterland," he said in a written speech read by
Sugiono in Bandung. (43/imn)