The Uniformed Intellectual in Indonesia
The Indonesian Armed Forces was a very unique in the sense that it was established not by the government, but the military created itself from the members of militia trained by the Japanese. At that time, the new government under President Sukarno reluctant to raise an army, because it wanted to achieve independence peacefully (Salim Said, Suharto’s Armed Forces, Sinar Harapan ;2006). The consequences of the government reluctance forced the military to elect its own Armed Forces Commander. The man elected was Sudirman, a former schoolteacher turned battalion commander during the Japanese period. This essay will try to elaborate the role of the intellectual officers in Indonesia.
General Sudirman, after resuming his power as Armed Forces Commander, recognizing the authority of President Sukarno as political leadership, the most interesting is he saw himself not as merely government soldier but also as guardian of the nation. The army could not develop himself as it did if not because of the weakness of political and governmental institution at that time. This situation in one hand caused the government to lose control of the military, but in other hand also convinced the officers to pursue their own policy.
The guerilla war following the Dutch attack on 19 December 1948, gave Sudirman the opportunity to demonstrate the autonomy of the army. Its clearly showed when the political leadership decided to surrender to the Dutch, Sudirman and his forces when to the jungle to fight a guerilla war. The intellectual officer behind this guerilla war was Colonel A.H. Nasution, his own deputy and recognized as a bright officer. At that time, he reorganized the army into two forces, the mobile forces and the territorial forces. He also prepared the people to engage in a total war.
There were two prominent figures in this period, namely Col A.H.Nasution and Col T.B. Simatupang. Both of them Dutch-educated officers. These two intellectual officers tried to reorganize TNI into modern forces, but the failed because the Japanese trained officers refused the plan. Subsequently they lost their jobs.
Those situation up to now still the same. The intellectual officers who want to apply his capability faces that kind of dilemma. If he wants to follow the path of the Doers, he has a possibility to be selected as Battalion Commander or even move to higher command. But he never have chance to exercise his intellectual capability. If he tries to apply his intellectual capability he will ended his career as instructor in the military academy or in the CGSC as directing staff.
How the intellectual officers find the way to reach the top? In this modern and globalization era they cleverly pretended as the Doers while they climb the ladder up to Colonel Rank. They showed their capability in the field in order to get the acceptability from the senior officer. When they reach the star, no one can stop him, because actually in the officers’ corps everyone put the high respect for the intellectual officers. It’s difficult to accept intellectual officers if they never joint the muddy-boots forces. To avoid the young intellectual officer wilted before it fully grow, usually the senior intellectual officer mentoring him to make sure no one put stigma on him as mere theorist . He also will follow the path joining the muddy-boots to get his Colonel before he fully develops his capability.
There are a lot of example intellectual officers who reach their stars, retired and now work in the think tank institution. To mention a few, LTG Agus Wijoyo, MG Simbolon or even Indonesia Presiden Susilo B. Yudhoyono. The typical acceptable intellectual officer in Indonesia; he must show that in his track record he has assignment in the unit, notorious operation or special task which put life at risk. He also must accept that every changing in the army structure or organization must be conducted gradually. It is very sad to mention, that a lonely intellectual officer – LTG Agus WHK – was pass away with out enough coverage. He tried hard to modernized the army but he had chosen the radical way in 2001. The result ? He lost his job as Kostrad Commanding Officer, the prestigious three star positions in TNI. He spend his rest of life writing a book and before the retired age came, he passed away.
To conclude, in Indonesia intellectual officer and the doers always get along in the same direction. The important to remember that he must serve with the unit as muddy-boots from the young officer till the middle rank. The other important lesson is that all the modernization, reformation or transformation in the army must be conducted in gradual way.
Col Imam Edy Mulyono
The Indonesian Armed Forces was a very unique in the sense that it was established not by the government, but the military created itself from the members of militia trained by the Japanese. At that time, the new government under President Sukarno reluctant to raise an army, because it wanted to achieve independence peacefully (Salim Said, Suharto’s Armed Forces, Sinar Harapan ;2006). The consequences of the government reluctance forced the military to elect its own Armed Forces Commander. The man elected was Sudirman, a former schoolteacher turned battalion commander during the Japanese period. This essay will try to elaborate the role of the intellectual officers in Indonesia.
General Sudirman, after resuming his power as Armed Forces Commander, recognizing the authority of President Sukarno as political leadership, the most interesting is he saw himself not as merely government soldier but also as guardian of the nation. The army could not develop himself as it did if not because of the weakness of political and governmental institution at that time. This situation in one hand caused the government to lose control of the military, but in other hand also convinced the officers to pursue their own policy.
The guerilla war following the Dutch attack on 19 December 1948, gave Sudirman the opportunity to demonstrate the autonomy of the army. Its clearly showed when the political leadership decided to surrender to the Dutch, Sudirman and his forces when to the jungle to fight a guerilla war. The intellectual officer behind this guerilla war was Colonel A.H. Nasution, his own deputy and recognized as a bright officer. At that time, he reorganized the army into two forces, the mobile forces and the territorial forces. He also prepared the people to engage in a total war.
There were two prominent figures in this period, namely Col A.H.Nasution and Col T.B. Simatupang. Both of them Dutch-educated officers. These two intellectual officers tried to reorganize TNI into modern forces, but the failed because the Japanese trained officers refused the plan. Subsequently they lost their jobs.
Those situation up to now still the same. The intellectual officers who want to apply his capability faces that kind of dilemma. If he wants to follow the path of the Doers, he has a possibility to be selected as Battalion Commander or even move to higher command. But he never have chance to exercise his intellectual capability. If he tries to apply his intellectual capability he will ended his career as instructor in the military academy or in the CGSC as directing staff.
How the intellectual officers find the way to reach the top? In this modern and globalization era they cleverly pretended as the Doers while they climb the ladder up to Colonel Rank. They showed their capability in the field in order to get the acceptability from the senior officer. When they reach the star, no one can stop him, because actually in the officers’ corps everyone put the high respect for the intellectual officers. It’s difficult to accept intellectual officers if they never joint the muddy-boots forces. To avoid the young intellectual officer wilted before it fully grow, usually the senior intellectual officer mentoring him to make sure no one put stigma on him as mere theorist . He also will follow the path joining the muddy-boots to get his Colonel before he fully develops his capability.
There are a lot of example intellectual officers who reach their stars, retired and now work in the think tank institution. To mention a few, LTG Agus Wijoyo, MG Simbolon or even Indonesia Presiden Susilo B. Yudhoyono. The typical acceptable intellectual officer in Indonesia; he must show that in his track record he has assignment in the unit, notorious operation or special task which put life at risk. He also must accept that every changing in the army structure or organization must be conducted gradually. It is very sad to mention, that a lonely intellectual officer – LTG Agus WHK – was pass away with out enough coverage. He tried hard to modernized the army but he had chosen the radical way in 2001. The result ? He lost his job as Kostrad Commanding Officer, the prestigious three star positions in TNI. He spend his rest of life writing a book and before the retired age came, he passed away.
To conclude, in Indonesia intellectual officer and the doers always get along in the same direction. The important to remember that he must serve with the unit as muddy-boots from the young officer till the middle rank. The other important lesson is that all the modernization, reformation or transformation in the army must be conducted in gradual way.
Col Imam Edy Mulyono
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