The history of the province of West Papua (then West Irian) cannot be separated from the Indonesian government’s efforts in the liberation of West Irian 59 years ago. The liberation operation widely known as the People’s Triple Command (Tri Komando Rakyat, abbreviated as Trikora) became a significant part of the country’s history.
However, one military unit had a significant role in the liberation of the eastern province of Indonesia from the clutches of Dutch colonialism, namely the Army Strategic Reserves Command or Komando Cadangan Strategies Darat (Kostrad).
History of the Formation of Kostrad
Sixty-one years ago, on March 6, 1961, to be exact, was commemorated as the date of the formation of Kostrad. According to the report published at Kostrad.mil.id, this military unit was initially known as the Army General Reserve Corps or Cadangan Umum Angkatan Darat (Caduad).
The idea of Caduad was born due to the concerns of General A.H. Nasution regarding the West Irian issue at that time. Major General Suharto was appointed to be the first Caduad leader.
Less than a year after the formation, Caduad was assigned to carry out the Trikora Operation to free West Irian (now West Papua) from the Dutch. It was a follow-up to the decreed established by President Sukarno on December 19, 1961, which consists of three points:
- abort the formation of a Papuan state in West Irian,
- raise the red and white flag in West Irian,
- and prepare to conduct a general mobilization.
The Mandala Command was formed in eastern Indonesia to carry out the task, with its headquarters based in Ujung Pandang. The said military duty was code-named ‘Jayawijaya Operation’, and it involved the Indonesian army, navy, air force, volunteers, and civilians.
The primary mission was to liberate West Irian from the Dutch government with open war should the peace negotiations fail. Caduad deployed one of its divisions to participate in this operation which, in the end, bore fruit. The liberation of West Irian was marked by the red and white flag, which was raised on March 1, 1963.
After the took over of West Papua, Major General Suharto made further studies regarding the future of Caduad and his vision to establish a strategic reserve force. It resulted in the change of Caduad’s name to Kostrad on February 19, 1963.
Function and Primary Tasks
In its organizational form, Kostrad has a field command structure consisting of command headquarters, division headquarters, brigades, and combat groups for combat support units and combat assistance.
Kostrad is a municipality that falls under the jurisdiction of the Army Chief of Staff. Meanwhile, Kostrad is directly under the Army Commander in terms of operation. As elaborated above, in the early formation of Kostrad, the military unit was immediately given a mission in West Irian (now West Papua).
Today, Kostrad is in charge of both foreign and domestic duties. Those in this special unit who carry out international duties serve as peacekeepers under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council.
Meanwhile, troops stationed in the country are often involved in security recovery, border security, guarding critical assets, natural disaster management, and releasing hostages.
In terms of responsibilities, Kostrad is in charge of developing operational readiness and performing defensive operations in compliance with the Army Commander’s policy. Its primary function is to assist Kotrad’s major missions by conducting Military Operations for War and Military Operations Other Than War.
Kostrad as the Elite Military Unit
Kostrad has been deemed one of the elite military units for its success in completing many challenging tasks. Of course, this unit will always be remembered as the most pivotal player in the liberation of West Papua. This year, they are turning 61 and will remain one of the most successful military units this country has ever had.
