General of the Army (Indonesia)

General of the army (Indonesian: jenderal besar, lit. 'grand general'), was the highest rank of the Indonesian Army. It was the equivalent of admiral of the fleet (laksamana besar) and marshal of the air force (marsekal besar) within the Indonesian Armed Forces ranking system.^[1] These ranks were honorary and did not confer additional authority or responsibility.^[1]

General of the Army Jenderal Besar
Shoulder insignia
Country	Indonesia
Service branch	Indonesian Army
Rank group	General officer
Rank	Five-star rank
Formation	1997
Abolished	2010
Next lower rank	Jenderal
Equivalent ranks	Laksamana Besar (Navy) Marsekal Besar (Air force)

The rank has been only awarded to three individuals, all in 1997, during the 52nd year anniversary of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.^[2]

• Sudirman, also styled Grand Commander (panglima besar), the commander of the armed forces during the war of independence and a national hero. The rank was granted posthumously.
• Abdul Haris Nasution, a national hero, twice appointed chief of staff of the army, and a survivor of an assassination attempt in the 1965 coup attempt.
• Suharto, the second President of Indonesia. The rank was bestowed during his presidency.

As Government Regulation No. 32/1997, which established this rank, was revoked and replaced by Government Regulation No. 39/2010, which no longer includes the five-star rank.^[3] Consequently, the rank may not be awarded anymore.

In January 2014, General Moeldoko, then serving as Commander of the National Armed Forces, briefly suggested awarding the rank to outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono due to the latter's efforts in modernizing the military. Former service members sitting in parliament firmly rejected the suggestion, citing the aforementioned regulation, and in any case, Yudhoyono himself, while appreciating Moeldoko's gesture, ultimately refused to take the award, with Minister of the State Secretariat Sudi Silalahi stating that the aforementioned efforts by Yudhoyono have since become a standard presidential duty.^[4][5]

See also

• General of the Army (United States)

References

1. Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 32 Tahun 1997 Tentang Perubahan Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 6 Tahun 1990 Tentang Administrasi Prajurit Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia [Government Regulation No 32 of 1997 on Amendement to Government Regulation No 6 of 1990 on Administration of Soldiers of the Republic of Indonesia Armed Forces] (Government Regulation 32, Article 7) (in Indonesian). Government of Indonesia. 1997.
2. Eklöf, Stefan (1999). Indonesian Politics in Crisis: The Long Fall of Suharto, 1996-1998. NIAS Press. p. 104. ISBN 8787062690.
3. Peraturan Pemerintah Republik Indonesia Nomor 39 Tahun 2010 Tentang Administrasi Prajurit Tentara Nasional Indonesia [Government Regulation No 39 of 2010 On Administration of Soldiers of the Indonesian National Armed Forces] (PDF) (Government Regulation 39, Article 80) (in Indonesian). Government of Indonesia. 2010.
4. Firdaus, Randy Ferdi (10 January 2014). "Usul SBY jenderal besar, Panglima TNI diminta jangan aneh-aneh". merdeka.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 April 2022.
5. Nur Hakim, Rakhmat, ed. (29 March 2021). "Saat SBY Tolak Usulan Gelar Jenderal Besar TNI dari Moeldoko…". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 20 April 2022.