Jakarta. Indonesia’s sixth vice president and former Armed Forces commander Try Sutrisno died on Monday at the age of 90, marking the passing of one of the country’s most prominent military and political figures of the New Order era.

Born in Surabaya on Nov. 15, 1935, Try Sutrisno built a long career in the Indonesian military that eventually led him to the highest ranks of the armed forces and later to the vice presidency during the final years of President Soeharto’s rule.

His military journey began in the late 1950s when he joined the Army Technical Academy (Atekad). Even before graduating in 1959, he was already involved in combat operations, including the campaign against the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) rebellion in 1957.

In 1962, he participated in the operation to reclaim West Irian, during which he worked with Major General Soeharto, then commander of the Mandala Command. The professional relationship between the two continued in the years that followed.

Try Sutrisno later attended the Army Staff and Command School (Seskoad) in 1972, strengthening his strategic and leadership credentials within the military.

His career accelerated in the 1970s. In 1974, four years after Soeharto became Indonesia’s second president, Try Sutrisno was appointed as the president’s aide-de-camp (ADC), a position that helped elevate his standing in the military establishment.

He went on to hold several key positions in the Indonesian Army, including chief of staff of the Udayana Military Command in 1978 and commander of the Sriwijaya Military Command in 1979.

In 1985, he was appointed deputy army chief of staff and promoted to lieutenant general. A year later, he became the army chief of staff (KSAD), serving from 1986 to 1988. He was promoted to full general in April 1987.

His military career reached its peak in early 1988 when he was appointed commander of the Armed Forces (ABRI), replacing General LB Moerdani. He led ABRI from 1988 to 1993, a period when the institution still included the army, navy, air force, and the national police.

During his tenure, Indonesia faced several major security challenges, including the resurgence of insurgency in Aceh in 1989 and the Santa Cruz incident in Timor Timur in November 1991.

Following his tenure as ABRI commander, Try Sutrisno entered national politics. During the 1993 General Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), the ABRI faction nominated him for vice president. He was subsequently elected as Indonesia’s sixth vice president, serving from 1993 to 1998 alongside President Soeharto.

His nomination was seen as notable at the time, as technocrat BJ Habibie had been widely viewed as a strong candidate supported by the United Development Party (PPP). However, the military ultimately backed Try Sutrisno, elevating him to the country’s second-highest office.

Beyond his public career, his legacy also extends through his family. His son Kunto Arief Wibowo serves as a major general in the Indonesian Army and currently holds the position of deputy commander of the Army Training, Education and Doctrine Command (Kodiklatad). Another son, Firman Santyabudi, is a police inspector general and serves as head of the National Police Traffic Corps.

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