Prabowo Subianto’s Experience with Pak Sutiyoso
Pak Sutiyoso, a graduate of the ’68 Academy, is someone that Lieutenant General TNI (Ret) Prabowo Subianto has known from a distance since their time in Kopassus. While Prabowo was in Group 1 in Cijantung and Batujajar, Pak Sutiyoso was in Group 2 in Magelang. Despite not crossing paths often during their service, Prabowo knows that Pak Sutiyoso was involved in various operations, including infiltration operations in East Timor under Pak Dading Kalbuadi.
Known for his humor and field expertise, Pak Sutiyoso is also famous for his hobby of shooting moving targets. When he was a Colonel serving as the Operations Assistant of Kopassus, he proposed to Prabowo that he becomes the Commander of Pusdikpassus in Batujajar.
Although Prabowo initially aspired to become the Commander of the esteemed 17 Airborne Brigade, he recognized the prestige of the Education Center in Batujajar and its importance in shaping the quality of Indonesia’s elite forces. In order to influence the improvement of the curriculum and the quality of training and trainers in Batujajar, Prabowo agreed to Pak Sutiyoso’s request and returned to Kopassus to serve as the Commander of Pusdik.
During his time as the Commander of Pusdikpassus, Pak Sutiyoso provided a lot of support to Prabowo. Described as a very patriotic person and someone with a great sense of humor, Pak Sutiyoso, along with other seniors and mentors, played a significant role in shaping Prabowo’s military experience.
