Indonesian civil servants to undergo military training to boost national defence

Some 4,000 civil servants in Indonesia will undergo military training in the first half of 2026 under the government’s plans to make them part of the military reserve.



The programme aims to foster nationalism and a stronger sense of service to the country, accotding to Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin last Saturday at a national defence retreat for the Indonesian Journalists Association in Cibodas, Bogor.



Participants will be aged 18 to 35 and will undergo basic military training in stages.



They will not replace the Indonesian military in carrying out core national defence duties, and will return to their respective institutions after the training.



Training would likely start in April, but details of the programme and the quota for each participating government institution are still being worked out



The programme is part of a policy in place since 2021 to strengthen national defence.