Andika Perkasa

Andika Perkasa (born 21 December 1964) is an Indonesian general who currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army (Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat or KASAD). He was appointed by President of Indonesia Joko Widodo in 2018, replacing the retiring Mulyono.

Perkasa began his career as a part of Kopassus and studied in the United States for eight years. He became the Commander of Paspampres by 2014 and saw rapid rise through the ranks, holding important positions and being promoted from a one-star brigadier general to a four-star general within five years.

Background
Perkasa was born in Bandung, West Java on 21 December 1964.

He is married to Diah Erwiany, who is the daughter of Indonesian State Intelligence Agency chief Hendropriyono.

Military career
Perkasa graduated from the Indonesian Military Academy as part of the class of 1987, and joined Kopassus as a platoon commander. He served in there for fifteen years, eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel and a battalion commander in the unit by 2002, before he was transferred to Kodam Jaya, where he became a section chief in a military district. Less than a year later, he was transferred to the military's strategic intelligence division. During his time at Kopasssus, Perkasa participated in a military operation in East Timor (1992), Aceh (1994) and Papua, and was involved in the 2002 capture of Al-Qaeda member Omar al-Faruq in Bogor.

Between 2003 and 2011, Perkasa went to the United States where he received military education at the National War College and Norwich University, and also studied for a master's degree at Harvard University in addition to a doctorate at George Washington University. After returning to Indonesia, he was appointed as a regimental commander in Jakarta in 2011, in addition to being promoted to colonel, and then as head of a military district in North Sumatra. By 2013, he was promoted to brigadier general and became the head of public relations for the army.

Several days after the inauguration of Joko Widodo, Perkasa was appointed as the head of the Paspampres - the presidential security unit - and was promoted to major general. By 2016, he was appointed as the commander of Kodam XII/Tanjungpura and in early 2018 was transferred as the head of education and training for the Indonesian Army, being promoted to lieutenant general - due to a chain promotion caused by resignation of Kostrad commander Eddy Rahmayadi. In July 2018, Perkasa was appointed as the Commander of Kostrad.

On 22 November 2018, Perkasa was promoted to a four-star general, before being appointed and sworn in as the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army. Perkasa was one of the four candidates proposed by TNI Commander Hadi Tjahjanto to replace the retiring General Mulyono.