Army Chief Of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak: Regional Supporting Battalion Prone To Support Security And Accelerate Development

Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak, M.Sc. (Doc KSAD)

JAKARTA - Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak, M.Sc., emphasized that the formation of the Prone Regional Supporting Battalion (PDR) aims to improve security and support the acceleration of development in the area. This unit is expected to contribute to the agricultural, livestock, and help the daily lives of the local community.

This statement was made by the Army Chief of Staff after attending the inauguration of the five Prone Infantry Battalions, led by the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto at Silang Monas Field, Central Jakarta, Wednesday, October 2.

"PDR is not only formed to deal with vulnerabilities, but also to help the community through production companies that focus on agriculture and livestock. This is a brilliant idea from the Minister of Defense to encourage economic growth in vulnerable areas," said General Maruli.

General Maruli added that the PDR Battalion will be equipped with agricultural tools to increase food security and support development in disadvantaged areas. The five newly formed battalions will be placed in Papua and West Papua. Among them are Yonif 801/Ndukua Adyatama Yuddha in Keerom, Yonif 802/Wimani Mambe Jaya in Sarmi, Yonif 803/Ksatria Yuddha Kentsuwri in Boven Digoel, Yonif 804/Dharma Bhakti Asasta Yudha in Merauke, and Yonif 805/Ksatria Satya Waninggap in Sorong, Southwest Papua.

Apart from Papua, the Army Chief of Staff also stated that a similar battalion would be formed in other areas that needed security and development support.

With a collaborative approach, Yonif PDR will focus on food security, community development, and maintaining security in vulnerable areas.

After the inauguration ceremony, the Defense and Security Equipment (Alpalhankam) was handed over from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense to the TNI Headquarters. The handover was carried out by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia Lt. Gen. TNI (Ret.) Herindra and was symbolically received by the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto.

Alpalhankam handed over includes various equipment, such as Panser Pandur, Tiger Tank, Panser Anoa, Rantis Maung, troop transport trucks, and electric motorcycles. A total of 769 defense equipment units were handed over to support TNI operations in various regions.

The presence of the Prone Regional Supporting Battalion is expected that the Army Chief of Staff Maruli Simanjuntak can be directly felt by the community through increasing security and various benefits from the development carried out by the TNI.