Unit Name: | XVIII Military Regional Command/Cassowary |
Native Name: | Indonesian: Komando Daerah Militer XVIII/Kasuari |
Dates: | December 19, 2016 - present |
Country: | Indonesia |
Branch: | Indonesian National Armed Forces Tentara Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian) |
Command Structure: | Indonesian Army |
Type: | Indonesia Regional Military Command |
Motto: | Indonesian: Patriot Pembela Rakyat "Patriot Defender of the People" |
Commander1: | Maj. Gen Ilyas Alamsyah Harahap (id) |
Commander1 Label: | Commander |
Commander2: | Brig. Gen. Yusuf Ragainaga |
Commander2 Label: | Chief of Staff |
Garrison: | Manokwari, West Papua |
Mascot: | Cassowary |
Komando Daerah Militer XVIII/Kasuari (XVIII Military Region Command/Cassowary) (often abbreviated "Kodam XVIII / Cassowary"), is the Defense Regional Command in Southwest Papua, and West Papua Province, which was created in 2016 with the division of parts of Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih which is located in Jayapura, Papua Province.
The vastness of the area and security disturbances against pro-independence forces in the 2010s made the Indonesian National Armed Forces express the need to form a new regional command in Manokwari, covering northern parts of West Papua.[1] In 2016, the Indonesian Army, through then Chief of Staff General Mulyono, decided to create a brand new military region separated from Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, and on December 16, Kodam XVIII/Kasuari, was officially raised as the youngest Regional Military Command of the Army.[2] [3] [4]
It was named after the Cassowary bird native to the province of West Papua, it was also because its units were formerly formed from combination of infiltration forces of Operation Trikora, guerrilla forces of Cassowary Battalion of Arfai, and former members of PVK, after they had been trained in Siliwangi and Diponegoro.[5]
Its Command Building is headquartered in Arfai Village, South Manokwari District, Manokwari, West Papua. [6] The construction of the Kasuari Kodam headquarters was on 24.7 hectares of land, which previously belonged to the C Rifle Company. The land was owned by the Indonesian Army, the headquarters of the C and D Rifle Companies, and today the composite Company's barracks are now relocated to Warmare District.
The founding commander of the region was Major General TNI Joppye Onesimus Wayangkau (id), assisted by his chief of staff, Brigadier General TNI Ferry Zein (id).
In 2020-21, the territorial organization of Kodam XVIII/Kasuari was split into two MACs and one Military District (Separate).
* Secata Rindam XVIII / Cassowary
* Secaba Rindam XVIII / Cassowary
* Dodiklatpur Rindam XVIII / Cassowary
* Dodikjur Rindam XVIII / Cassowary
* Dodik Bela Negara Rindam XVIII / Cassowary