President Prabowo commissions 1,177 military and police officers at Merdeka Palace ceremony

President Prabowo commissions 1,177 military and police officers at Merdeka Palace ceremony

President Prabowo Subianto commissioned 1,177 graduates from Indonesia's military and police academies as officers during a formal oath-taking ceremony at Merdeka Palace on Wednesday, marking their official entry into the nation's armed forces and law enforcement agencies.

The commissioning, conducted under Presidential Decree No. 69 TNI Year 2026 and No. 70 Polri Year 2026, formalized the appointments of 512 Army cadets, 229 Navy cadets, 154 Air Force cadets, and 282 National Police cadets as commissioned officers.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka attended the ceremony alongside Cabinet Merah Putih ministers, senior military chiefs, and top police officials, underscoring the state-level significance of the event. The ceremony drew 4,708 family members of the newly commissioned officers to witness the tradition.

President Prabowo arrived at the palace courtyard flanked by Presidential Security Detail tactical vehicles before presiding over the ceremony and presenting the prestigious Adhi Makayasa awards to four top-ranking cadets.

Top-ranking cadets honored with Adhi Makayasa awards

The distinguished recipients were Calvin Tidar Sakti from the Army, Muhammad Rizki Wira Utama Baihaqi Putra from the Navy, Yehezkiel Bonaventura Yudaniarman from the Air Force, and Harindra Arsandho Tegarbaja from the Police. Three of the four recipients are alumni of SMA Taruna Nusantara, a prestigious military-oriented high school.

The Adhi Makayasa award recognizes overall excellence across five criteria: academic achievement, personality, mental strength, physical fitness, and leadership qualities. Recipients from the military services also receive promotion from Officer Candidate to Second Lieutenant rank.

State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi noted the ceremony's importance in marking the cadets' transition to national service.

This ceremony marks a pivotal transition for these cadets as they take on the solemn responsibility of defending the nation and serving the public,

he said in a statement.

Historical significance of the venue

The Merdeka Palace courtyard has served as the official venue for the national commissioning ceremony since 2017, restoring a state tradition originally held at the presidential site from 1984 to 2003. The ceremony was conducted at the Military Academy grounds in Magelang from 2004 to 2016 before returning to the palace.

The Military Academy itself, which trains Army officers, has been located in Magelang, Central Java since 1957, after its establishment in Yogyakarta in 1945.

The commissioning comes as Indonesia's Ministry of Defense operates under a 2026 fiscal year allocation of Rp 187.1 trillion, approximately US$11.4 billion to US$11.8 billion, to support military readiness and operations.