The Figure Of General Richard Tampubolon Who Was Appointed By The Army Chief Of Staff General Dudung To Be The Commander Of The XVI/Patimura Regional Military Command

JAKARTA - Army Chief of Staff General TNI Dudung Abdurachman has officially appointed and inaugurated Major General TNI Richard TH Tampubolon as Commander of the XVI/Ptm Military Command replacing Maj. Gen. Bambang Ismawan in the AH Nasution Hall of the Army Headquarters, Wednesday, December 29.

The appointment of Major General of the TNI Richard TH Tampubolon as Commander of the XVI/Ptm Military Command was stated in the KEP Panglima TNI Number 1128/XII/2021 dated December 6, 2021. TNI Major General Bambang Ismawan, who was replaced by Richard, was then entrusted with manning the Commander of the TNI Kodiklat with the promotion of three-star Pati.

TNI Major General Richard TH Tampubolon himself is an alumnus of the 1992 Military Academy who spent most of his service time in the elite Kopassus unit. Prior to being entrusted as Pangdam XVI/Ptm, Richard was the Commander of the TNI's Special Operations Command (Dankoopssus).

As a true Commando soldier, Richard has been given a lot of trust and has experience in various assignments in the area of operation, both combat operations and intelligence operations.

He has experience operating in various parts of Indonesia, such as in East Timor, Papua, Ambon, Sampit (Central Kalimantan) and the Balanced Intelligence operation during the Aceh Military Emergency.

In addition, while serving as Danrindam VI/Mlw, Richard took part in the operation to free Indonesian citizens who were held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf militant group in the Philippines.

Even at the rank of One Star while serving as Wadanjen Kopassus he was appointed as Head of Operations (Kaops) Nemangkawi I in Papua. Richard and the troops he brought succeeded in seizing the headquarters of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) and paralyzing several military leaders of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-PB).

Likewise, while serving as Dankoopssus TNI, the TNI Commander also trusted him to lead the pursuit of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

The operation in Poso was even able to eliminate the power of the terrorist group led by Ali Kalora. Of the 11 DPOs being pursued, seven of them were successfully disabled. Meanwhile, structural positions during his service at Kopassus that he had held included Danunit in Group 2 Kopassus, Dantim, Intelligence Staff Officer, Danden, Head of Intelligence Section and Wadanyon in Group 3 Sandi Yudha, Danyon in Group 1 Kopassus, Commander of the Sandi Yudha Pusdikpassus School, Waasintel Kopassus, Wadan Kopassus Group 2, Asintel Danjen Kopassus, Commander of Group 2 of Kopassus and Commander of Group 3 of Kopassus.

Positions outside Kopassus include Danrindam at Kodam VI/Mlw and Danrem 023/KS Kodam I/BB.

Richard received a one-star Pati Promotion when he was Wadanjen Kopassus and Kasdam VI/Mlw. While Pati Bintang Dua was carried while serving as Chief of Staff of Kogabwilhan I and Commander of Koopssus TNI.

In addition to a successful career in the military, Major General TNI Richard TH. Tampubolon was also named an outstanding figure and appeared as a resource person in the Supermentor 17 program, an experience-sharing platform for the younger generation.

Besides that, he also succeeded in brewing Indonesian athletes in the Indonesia Gold Program (Prima), the Commander of the 2009 Sea Games Sub-Contingent, Vientiane Laos and the Manager of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

During the 2011 Sea Games in Jakarta, thanks to his cool hands, Indonesia succeeded in becoming the General Champion.

Major General of the TNI Richard TH. Tampubolon is also known to be close to his subordinates, and is always present at critical times, which is sometimes difficult to predict, because he always acts out of the box.

Various philosophies that always ring out by every soldier he has ever led are "The brain is one of the strongest muscles in battle", and "In a team victory is not determined by one person, but because of the actions of one person can cause the destruction of a team".

No less important is the hope that is always conveyed to his soldiers "Be a professional soldier, have character and have insight".