Prabowo Subianto: Notes from Pak Sutiyoso’s Military Experience
Pak Sutiyoso graduated from the ’68 Academy. As a junior, I had seen Pak Sutiyoso from a distance in Kopassus. He was in Group 2 in Magelang while I was in Group 1 in Cijantung and Batujajar. Although we didn’t often interact during our service, I knew that he was involved in various operations, including infiltration operations in East Timor under Pak Dading Kalbuadi.
Pak Sutiyoso is known as someone full of humor and a field person with many operations. He is also famous for his hobby of shooting moving targets.
When he was a Colonel serving as the Operations Assistant of Kopassus, he called me. At that time, I was still the Commander of Brigade 17 Airborne. He proposed to Pak Tarub that I become the Commander of Pusdikpassus in Batujajar.
Although I aspired to remain as the Commander of the prestigious 17 Airborne Brigade, I acknowledged the prestige of the Education Center in Batujajar, and its significance in training all airborne forces and Indonesia’s special forces. Therefore, I agreed to Pak Sutiyoso’s request to return to Kopassus and serve as the Commander of Pusdik.
During my time as the Commander of Pusdikpassus, Pak Sutiyoso provided significant support. As the Operations Assistant in Kostrad, he demonstrated his patriotism and humor. These are the qualities of a senior mentor who guided me during my military career.
