KSAD Maruli at Seskoad: TNI AD Needs Critical Officers, Not Robots of Doctrine

KSAD Maruli Simanjuntak gave a public lecture to the Student Officer of the LXVII Dikreg School of Staff and Command of the Army at the Gatot Subroto Building, Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

BANDUNG - The Chief of Staff of the Army (KSAD) Maruli Simanjuntak challenged the officers of the Army to sharpen critical thinking and dare to appear as visionary leaders in the midst of increasingly complex global geopolitical dynamics.

According to him, TNI AD officers are not enough to be strong in the field, but must also be able to read strategic situations, formulate innovative solutions, and execute them through the right decisions.

The instruction was conveyed by General Maruli when giving a public lecture to the Student Officers of the LXVII Dikreg School of Staff and Command of the Army at the Gatot Subroto Building, Tuesday, February 24. This activity was attended by 271 student officers, with 262 participants present in person and nine others participating online. The event was opened by the Commander of the Seskoad, Major General TNI Dr. Agustinus Purboyo and the screening of the KSAD profile video.

The KSAD emphasized that the ever-evolving global geopolitical challenges require the presence of a TNI AD leader who is not only operational, but also adaptive and visionary.

He highlighted the importance of the ability to read changes in the strategic environment, formulate anticipatory steps, and determine a measured response to various threats, both external and internal.

In relation to the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045, General Maruli touched on the urgency of sustainable economic growth, optimization of natural resource potential, and industrial transformation through downstreaming and utilization of digital technology.

He also explained the direction of the State Defense Policy in 2026, including the ratio of defense budget and the development plan for land forces.

In terms of leadership formation, the KSAD emphasized that Seskoad should not just be a "graduation factory", but a candradimuka crater that hones critical thinking through the stages of ideas, research, discussion, presentation, and execution. He emphasized the importance of character, integrity, and professional organizational governance.

"The implementation of the 11 leadership principles is the foundation in shaping the character of leaders who are fair, wise, able to build teamwork, and prioritize the principle of leading is to serve as a form of dedication," said General Maruli. He also emphasized the application of reward and punishment in proportion as part of organizational discipline.

In addition, the KSAD reminded officers to maintain basic military skills, increase literacy and insight, and strengthen public communication skills so that they can explain government policies and programs to the public appropriately.

Closing his remarks, General Maruli hoped that the Seskoad student officers could grow into visionary leaders with strong character, integrity, and be able to make the TNI AD organization more adaptive and relevant in facing future challenges.

The public lecture was also attended by Irjenad, the Assistant KSAD, the Head of the Police, the Commander of Seskoad, the main officials of Seskoad, the heads of departments, patuns, and educators.