Commander of the Marine Corps Major General Endi Supardi reveals that President Prabowo Subianto has authorize the post of Marine Corps Commander to be held by a three-star general from the current two-star general.
Endi expressed hope that the decision would be officially announced by the President at the peak of the 79th Anniversary Celebration of the Marine Corps which will be held in the near future. The Marines’ Anniversary itself is commemorated every November 15th.
“He [President Prabowo Subianto] personally told me that if invited to the Marine Corps anniversary celebration, he would attend. Seeing the President attending and inaugurating the anniversary celebration of the Marine Corps led by a lieutenant general will be the perfect gift for the Marine Corps on its birthday,” Endi said in an interview broadcast on the Indonesian Navy’s YouTube channel on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
He, however, Endi has not confirmed the exact date forthe peak celebration of the Marine Corps Anniversary. In the midst of preparations for the celebration, President Prabowo is on a series of overseas working visit until November 23, 2024.
The proposal to promote the rank of Marine Corps commander from Major General to Lieutenant General has gone through a long process. Indonesian Military (TNI) Spokesman Major General R. Nugraha Gumilar said earlier that related documents had been processed at the Ministry of State Secretariat since early 2024.
TNI Chief General Agus Subiyanto has also discussed the validation of the Marine Corps with then Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas.
Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali said that the proposal for the Marine Corps to be led by a three-star general had passed the script test at the TNI Headquarters and the Ministry of Defense before being submitted to the 7th President Joko Widodo in May 2023.
“This process has been tested at various levels, from the Navy Headquarters to the Ministry of Defense, and now it is just waiting for the President’s ratification,” Ali saidlast May.
If officially implemented, this change will be a new milestone for the Marine Corps, strengthening their position in the Indonesian Navy structure while increasing their bargaining power at the strategic level. This increase is also expected to spur the spirit of soldiers in carrying out national defense and security duties.
