Remembering Dudung Abdurachman's Childhood Story

Pangdam Jaya May. Gen. Dudung Abdurachman while leading Degree of Readiness Ceremony for COVID-19, Wednesday 10 February (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Army Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto mutated and rotated high-ranking TNI officers. The purpose of these rotations is related to optimizing the implementation of increasingly complex and dynamic TNI tasks. One of them is Dudung Abdurachman who is now a Commander of Army Strategic Command (Pangkostrad), formerly Pangdam Jaya.

Dudung is a high-ranking army officer. He briefly served as Governor of the Military Academy. Dudung career as TNI was pioneered from Indonesia Military Academy (Akabri). Graduating from Akabri in 1988, Dudung received the rank of second lieutenant.

Prior to serving as Governor of Akmil and Pangdam Jaya, Dudung held the position of Waaster Kasad from 2017 to 2018.

The position of Pangdam Jaya held by Dudung was legitimized by the Decree of the Commander of the Armed Forces Number Kep/588/VII/2020 dated June 27, 2020.

Dudung's Childhood Story

Dudung was born into a simple family. The family's economic condition, plus the death of the father made Dudung intervene to help make a living by delivering the mother's cake.

"After my father died, I sold cookies. I sell cakes, raw chips, terasi, I should have firewood around near the house. Because we cook with firewood. I travel around in houses selling cakes," said Dudung, as quoted from his interview with Kompas TV, Friday, November 20, 2020.

In addition to traveling around the home environment, Dudung also delivered the merchandise cakes to the canteen of Kodam 3 Siliwangi on Aceh Street, Bandung City, West Java. Bad experience related with TNI members has Dudung experienced there.

The klepon cake that Dudung brought was once kicked by a soldier until it fell to the ground. However, on the other hand, the experience also spurred Dudung's determination to become a TNI officer.

"So I delivered to Kodam 3 Siliwangi. I went to the cafeteria because I was used to it. Because the guard may be a new enlisted, he doesn't know yet. Whereas I deliver cakes every day. He kicked the klepon. Finally, all 55 (pieces) scattered, on the ground. I went back again to ask for my mother to be replaced."

"From there I began to rise. Start, watch out later I say. I'll be an officer later. That's where I started to have aspirations to be an officer," he said.

In high school, Dudung made a living by becoming a newspaper boy. Every day he goes to Cikapundung to pick up newspapers and deliver them to a number of customers. Dudung did it every morning before leaving school.

"So I went to the newspaper at that time. The one with the paper is Mr. Mulyono. So I'm coming. At 3.30 a.m I've been to Cikapundung to take the newspaper, then I deliver the newspaper."

"Before I deliver to customers, I read it first. Once I knew the developments, I knew the situation and all sorts of what was in the paper."

Dudung again had a bad experience with the TNI when he became a newspaper boy. He was once "locked up" by a TNI major for being late to deliver newspapers.

"There was a newspaper at that time, I was late until I was locked by the cavalry major. The newspaper fell, then it got a little dirty. When I gave it, I was punched. It's been an experience," Dudung said.