Casa NC 212-200 planes, a combination of the Skuadron 600 Wing Air 1 and the Skuadron 800 Wing Air 2 from the Indonesian Military naval aviation center, carry out a flypass.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) will celebrate its 72nd anniversary on Thursday (today) at Cilegon Port in Banten.
The anniversary celebration will be the last for Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo in his capacity as the TNI Commander. Gatot, born on March 13, 1960, will retire in March 2018. He has six months remaining in his current post. In fact, Gatot Nurmantyo claims he has selected a candidate from among the high-ranking military officers to succeed him.
Reforms have been successfully carried out within the TNI. Based on a number of surveys, public confidence in the TNI, which had sunk during the New Order, has been improving. Today, the TNI is an institution that people trust. Positive public perception of the TNI emerged after a long process following the removal of the military’s Dwifungsi (dual function in defense and civilian life) in 1998.
The reforms restored the TNI’s role as a state defense tool, and it became a professional security force.
An opinion poll carried out by this newspaper showed that the majority of respondents (87 percent) agreed to the statement, "Military neutral and independent in line with its pledge", and 63.6 percent agreed with "Army stands above all parties and groups". Meanwhile, "The TNI is a professional and non-political army"was approved by 57.6 percent of respondents.
This public perception of the TNI should be maintained, and will be determined by the TNI’s behavior. According to state policy, the TNI is under the direct authority of the President, who is the commander in chief of the Army, Navy and Air Force. In keeping with state laws, the TNI should commit to the 1945 Constitution and Law No. 34/2004 on the TNI.
Article 3 of the TNI Law states: "In the mobilization and use of military force, the TNI is under the direct command of the President". Article 3, Paragraph 2 states: "In defense strategy policies as well as administrative support, the TNI is under the coordination of the Ministry of Defense”.
As a state defense tool, the TNI is faced with increasingly complex challenges. The challenges facing the TNI, in both the present and the future, are increasingly varied. The emergence of new kinds of wars, such as asymmetric warfare, cyber wars, and wars that rely on robotics, are a threat that must be anticipated.
In commemorating its 72nd anniversary, it makes sense that the public expects the TNI to be capable of anticipating modern warfare’s latest developments in cyberspace. The people expect professional soldiers who have mastered military technology and understand the paradigm of democracy and human rights. It is our shared responsibility to achieve this goal, including the provision of an adequate budget.
