In the Indonesian military, titular and honorary ranks are two different types of special military ranks. Unlike the normal rank in the Indonesian military, titular and honorary ranks could be given to civilians who served temporarily in the military or contributed to the military.
Titular rank
Background
Titular rank have been given since the
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during Aftermath of WWII, postw ...
. During the revolution, the office of governors, residents, and regents were transformed into military offices, which allowed them to regulate military affairs in their region. In their capacity, they were given titular military ranks. Military governors were given the titular rank of general major, military residents were given the titular rank of lieutenant colonel, and military regents were given the titular rank of major.
Several military offices during the revolution also involve civilian officeholders. An example of this is the Army Political Education Staff and the Military Court. The Army Political Education Staff, which was intended to educate the military on non-military matters, consisted of civilians. As such, these civilians were given the titular rank of major general.
Similarly, the military court during the revolution was filled with civilian judges due to the lack of military officers with law backgrounds. These civilian judges were given titular ranks, with the highest being the titular rank of lieutenant general for the chief justice of the supreme army court and the lowest being the titular rank of captain for the court clerk.
Regulation
The first regulation on titular ranks was enacted on 1 August 1946 with the Government Decree No. 7 of 1946. The regulation specifies the use of titular ranks within the military courts. The decree was later amended with the enactment of Government Decree No. 45 of 1948 on 9 October 1948.
Regulations about special military ranks were later merged to the Government Decree No. 36 of 1959, which was enacted on 26 June 1959.
Current usage
Titular rank holders
![Air Vice Admiral (Titular) Subandrio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Air_Vice_Admiral_%28Titular%29_Subandrio.jpg)
Titular flag officers
*
Hamengkubuwono IX
Hamengkubuwono IX or HB IX (12 April 1912 – 2 October 1988) was an Indonesian statesman and royal who was the second vice president of Indonesia, the ninth sultan of Yogyakarta, and the first governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Hamen ...
(titular general)
*
Roeslan Abdulgani
Ruslan Abdulgani (November 24, 1914, Surabaya — June 29, 2005, Jakarta, his first name is also spelled Roeslan) was an Indonesian government official and diplomat known for his role as a leader during the Indonesian National Revolution ...
(titular general)
*
Chairul Saleh
Chairul Saleh Dt Paduko Rajo (September 13, 1916 – February 8, 1967) was born in Sawahlunto, West Sumatra. He was an Indonesian government minister and vice prime minister during the Sukarno presidency. He was a close confidant of Sukarno, who ...
(titular lieutenant general,
later promoted to titular general on 17 August 1964,
titular rank converted to honorary rank posthumously on 22 June 1967
)
*
Johannes Leimena
Johannes Leimena (Often abbreviated as J. Leimana; 6 March 1905 – 29 March 1977), more colloquially referred to as Om Jo, was an Indonesian politician, physician, and national hero. He was one of the longest-serving government ministers in In ...
(titular vice admiral,
later promoted to titular admiral on 17 August 1964
)
*
Soebandrio
Subandrio (15 September 1914 – 3 July 2004) was an Indonesian politician and Foreign Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister of Indonesia under President Sukarno. Removed from office following the failed 1965 coup, he spent 29 years in pri ...
(titular air vice admiral,
later promoted to titular air admiral on 17 August 1964
)
*
Daud Beureueh
Teungku Mohammad Daud Beureueh (17 September 1899 – 10 June 1987) was the military Governor of Aceh (1945–1953) and leader of the Darul Islam rebellion in the province (1953–1963).
Born in the Keumangan chiefdom of Pidie regency, he bega ...
(titular general major)
*
Ferdinand Lumbantobing
Ferdinand Lumban Tobing (19 February 1899 – 7 October 1962) was Minister of Manpower and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia, Minister for Communications and Information of the Republic of Indonesia, Minister of Health of the Repu ...
(titular general major)
*
Nugroho Notosusanto
Brigadier General Raden Panji Nugroho Notosusanto (15 July 1930 – 3 June 1985) was an Indonesian short story writer turned military historian who served as professor of history at the University of Indonesia. Born to a noble family in Cent ...
(titular brigadier general)
Titular officers
*
Melanchton Siregar
Melanchton Siregar (August 7, 1912 – February 24, 1975) was the co-founder and last chairman of the Indonesian Christian Party, and the commander of the Arrow Division, the military wing of the North Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Christian P ...
(titular colonel)
*
Idris Sardi
Muhammad Idris Sardi (June 7, 1938 – April 28, 2014) was an Indonesian violinist and composer.
Idris Sardi was born on June 7, 1938 to Mas Sardi, Sardi, an Indonesian composer, and Hadidjah, an Indonesian actress.
Idris learned to play the vi ...
(titular lieutenant colonel)
Honorary rank
Honorary ranks are usually given as a promotion to retired military officers.
Retired military officers who serve as ministers usually received honorary rank promotion.
Honorary rank holders
![SBY military potrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/SBY_military_potrait.jpg)
* Chairul Saleh (honorary general)
*Achmad Tahir (honorary general)
*
Susilo Sudarman
General Soesilo Soedarman ( EYD: Susilo Sudarman) (10 November 1928 – 18 December 1997) was the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs at the Fourth Development Cabinet (1993–1998) and the Minister of Tourism, Post a ...
(honorary general)
*
Agum Gumelar (honorary general)
*
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan ( EYD: ''Luhut Binsar Panjaitan'', born 28 September 1947) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and retired four-star Army general, serving as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment since October ...
(honorary general)
*
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party ...
(honorary general)
*
Hari Sabarno
Hari Sabarno (12 August 1944 – 31 May 2019) was an Indonesian army officer and former Minister of Home Affairs.
Early life and career
On 12 March 2004, he was appointed by Megawati Soekarnoputri to be the interim Coordinating Minister for Po ...
(honorary general)
*
Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono
General (Ret.) Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono ( ; born 7 May 1945) is a retired honorary general from Kopassus, the Indonesian Army special forces group. Hendropriyono was the first head of Indonesia's Indonesian State Intelligence Agency, State I ...
(honorary general)
*
Azwar Anas
Ir. Haji Azwar Anas gelar Datuk Rajo Suleman (born 2 August 1931), more colloquially referred to as Pak Anas, is a former Indonesian politician, bureaucrat, and military officer. A member of the Golkar political party, he served in a number of ...
(honorary lieutenant general)
*Ary Mardjono (honorary lieutenant general)
*Z.A. Maulani (honorary lieutenant general)
*Kentot Harseno (honorary lieutenant general)
*
Sintong Panjaitan
Sintong Hamonangan Panjaitan (born 4 September 1940) is a retired TNI officer who graduated from the National Military Academy in 1963. Military Advisor to President BJ Habibie, Secretary for Development Operational Control of Kodam IX/Udayana ...
(honorary lieutenant general)
*
Paku Alam VIII
Sri Paku Alam VIII (10 April 1910 – 11 September 1998) was Duke (''Adipati'') of Pakualaman serving the second Governor of Yogyakarta. He was the son of Paku Alam VII and ''Gusti Bendara Raden Ayu Retno Poewoso''. His child name was ''Gusti Rad ...
(honorary major general)
[{{Cite book, last=General Elections Institution, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VODlHHq4FukC&pg=PA723, title=Riwajat hidup anggota-anggota Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat hasil pemilihan umum 1971, publisher=General Elections Institution, year=1973, location=Jakarta, pages=723, author-link=General Elections Institution]
*Muchlis Ibrahim (honorary major general)
*
Bandjela Paliudju (honorary major general)
*
Daniel Frank Craig (honorary commander)
References
Military ranks of Indonesia