Basuki Rahmat - Military Career

Military Career

In 1943, During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, Basuki joined the Defenders of the Motherland Army (PETA), an auxiliary force ran by the Japanese to train extra soldiers in the case of a United States invasion of Java. In PETA, Basuki rose to become a Company Commander.

With the Proclamation of Independence on 17 August 1945 by Nationalist leaders Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, Basuki, like many other youths began to band into militias in preparation for the formation of an Indonesian Army. On 5 October 1945, the People's Security Army (TKR) was formed, with Basuki enlisting with TKR on the same month at the town of Ngawi in his native province of East Java. There he was stationed with KODAM VII/Brawijaya (then known as Military Territory V/Brawijaya), the military command charged with the security of East Java.

At this Kodam, Basuki served as a Battalion Commander at Ngawi (1945–1946), Battalion Commander at Ronggolawe (1946–1950), Regimental Commander stationed at Bojonegoro (1950–1953), Chief of Staff to the Commander of Military Territory V/Brawijaya (1953–1956) and Acting Commander of Military Territory V/Brawijaya (1956).

In September 1956, Basuki was transferred to Melbourne, Australia to serve as a military attache to the embassy there. Basuki returned to Indonesia in November 1959 and served as Assistant IV/Logistics to Army Chief of Staff Abdul Haris Nasution.

Basuki returned to KODAM VII/Brawijaya in 1960, serving as Chief of Staff before finally becoming the Commander in 1962.