Cross-generation leadership:challenges in leading the indonesian army as a modern organization

During the last two decades, militaries all over the world have transformed into modern organizations, including the Indonesian National Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat). This transformation is interpreted to be a feature of the so-called Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). In addition to procuring sophisticated weapon systems and armaments, modern armies are also making progressive development in other essential sectors. This includes building capacity through efficient and effective human capital management. Human resources are considered as one of the most important factors in RMA. As a consequence, the criteria for soldiers, NCOs, and officers who serve with the Indonesian military have also changed over time, which has been reflected in numerous revisions of recruitment standards. In the past, intellectual capability was not seen as a top priority for recruiting new military personnel, especially at the soldier level. Instead, loyalty and physical fitness were set above other priorities. Today, most of the tests for selecting new recruits incorporate more weight for intelligence in the overall process. With the procurement of modern weaponry, technological advancement means smarter soldiers are needed to man weapon systems. These adjustments to the selection process eventually changed the standards of military personnel, producing a different generation of recruits within the institution.