Water For Agriculture To Education At Borders, TNI AD Implements OMSP Every Day

Kasad General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak when inaugurating one of the implementation points for the Manunggal Air TNI program. (Source: TNI AD)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Army always carries out Military Operations Other than War (OMSP) throughout Indonesia, both those programmed to other OMSP activities, including the procurement of irrigation and education in remote parts of the country.

Head of the Indonesian Army Information Service, Brigadier General Wahyu Yudhayana, said that apart from OMSP in the TNI Manunggal Building Village (TMMD) program, his staff continued to carry out superior programs such as irrigation and education.

"For the TMMD, the 126th TMMD will soon be opened in 50 regencies and cities," explained the Head of Dispenad after joint sports at the Indonesian Army Headquarters, Thursday, September 18.

He explained, "At TMMD there is also how to handle self-sufficiency achievements, issues of improving health welfare, as well as educational activities."

Regarding the flagship program in the irrigation sector, the Indonesian Army is known to have a TNI AD Manunggal Air program. Data from the Indonesian Army noted that so far the program has succeeded in building 4,561 water sources throughout Indonesia, with beneficiaries reaching 502,714 families or more than 1.5 million people, and supporting the irrigation of agricultural land covering an area of 53,820 hectares.

"The flagship program never stops. (For example) we see areas where the water is lacking for agriculture, so the harvest is only once (a year), while we are pursuing the self-sufficiency target, (we help), that is our flagship activity, water for agriculture," explained Brigadier General Wahyu.

Kadispenad further explained that the Indonesian Army also has a water program for sanitation, part of the Manunggal Air TNI program.

"Currently, there are still around 9 percent of people who have not received sanitation properly. The impact on stunting, welfare, to other problems," explained Brigadier General Wahyu, who last June ensured that this was not a one-way program, but the long-term service of the Indonesian Army with people's welfare as part of national defense.

Another form of OMSP carried out by the Indonesian Army is to ensure the implementation of education in the Outermost, Disadvantaged and Frontier (3T) areas, where TNI AD personnel are widely held from Sabang to Merauke, to the furthest corners.

"Our soldiers in the area, if there is no security task force, Babinsa helps teach local children. If there is a task force, a task force is carried out in the area," explained Kadispenad.

It is known that the presence of TNI AD soldiers to remote areas to help carry out education is part of the TNI AD Teaching program, an educational development program involving TNI AD soldiers, especially in 3T areas.

"The results of monitoring and evaluation show that with the presence of TNI AD soldiers, the enthusiasm of students is very good, as can be seen from the high involvement of children in the learning process," said Deputy Minister of Elementary and Secondary Education Fajar Riza Ul Haq, at the opening of TNI AD Technical Guidance Teaching in 3T Regions held at Mayonif Mechanics 403/Wiarasa Pratista, Sleman last December, quoted from the website of the Directorate of Basic Education Teachers.