As soldiers, they must continue to improve their discipline, loyalty, character and other values."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Commander of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) General Moeldoko has urged all members of the armys special force Kopassus to continue to improve their capabilities and capacity.

Speaking at Kopassus 63th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, he said improving their capabilities and capacity was crucial to deal with possible threats from home and abroad, including the ISIS radical group.

General Moeldoko called on the armys elite force to reach out to the people more and help to maintain peace, as well.

"As TNI members are trained to be professional peoples soldiers, they must also protect them," he emphasized in his speech at the ceremony at the Kopassus headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta.

He noted: "As soldiers, they must continue to improve their discipline, loyalty, character and other values."

In addition, he also reminded them that the world changed constantly, which necessitated quick response from the Kopassus in monitoring situations.

War, he added, was no longer between countries, but also took place within a society that tends to be provoked by ethnic disputes and radical ideology.

"With regard to this context, the Kopassus will become the chief strategic element of the TNI operation command," he affirmed.

To develop and optimize operational capabilities of personnel of the Kopassus and other special forces of the TNI, Moeldoko pointed out that they planned to establish a Special TNI Operation Command. This was part of efforts to optimize the inter-operability of TNI forces, as well as to have a TNI standby force to deal with terrorism.

"The presence of the command will not reduce Kopassuss role structurally," he affirmed.

The general further noted that the Kopassus participation in the Special TNI Operation Command will be represented by Unit 81 to become an integrated three-branch force, along with the Denjaka special force of the navy and the Denbravo special force of the air force, formatted as a task force based on rotation of assignments.

The commemoration of the anniversary was also attended by Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla, cabinet ministers, retired Kopassus officers and former fighters of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

(Reporting by Syaiful Hakim/H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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