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Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo (Right) greets aviator corps and aircrew involved in the evacuation operation of Indonesian citizens in Afghanistan at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta, Saturday, August 18, 2021. (ANTARA PHOTO/HO-Air Force's Enlightenment Office/KT) - 

The Air Force's success in evacuating Indonesians from Afghanistan should be emulated by other members of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo stated here on Saturday.

Prasetyo remarked that Air Force units involved in the evacuation process had demonstrated professionalism despite little preparation time.

"I am very proud of all of you because with such quick preparation, you were able to show professionalism. This is a matter of pride for the soldiers, who successfully executed their operational duties and returned safely," Prasetyo stated at the apron of the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase, as quoted from his written statement.

He expressed optimism that professionalism would be exemplified by other members of the Indonesian Air Force.

"Even in uncertain conditions, the soldiers can perform their operating duties very well. This should be an example for the others," he emphasized.

The humanitarian operation evacuated 26 Indonesian citizens along with five Filipino nationals and two Afghan nationals from Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, aboard a Military Air Force Boeing 737 series 400 Air Squadron 17 from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase. The evacuation aircraft was flying with a "Kencana (Gold) Zero Four" signal.

Meanwhile, soldiers of the Air Force involved in the evacuation belonged to the Specialized Force Corps of the Bravo Detachment 90.

The aircraft, carrying the evacuees, was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Corps Ludwig Bayu and Major Aviator Corps Mulyo and accompanied by six flight crew members on duty: Captain Aviator Corps Sang Made K Y, First Lieutenant Aviator Corps R P Pratama A, First Lieutenant Aviator Corps Andhika, Second Lieutenant of Engineering Suparno, Second Lieutenant of Engineering Yusuf Affandi, Second Lieutenant Andromeda, Chief Sergeant Priyan Wahyu, Chief Sergeant Riyan Agieta, Chief Sergeant Budi R, and First Private Yulio A.

Meanwhile, six members of the Specialized Force Corps of Bravo Detachment 90 were Captain Pas Galih Pinto Nugroho, Second Sergeant Trenggono, Second Sergeant Yudi Aji Widagdo, Second Corporal Umar Haris, Chief Private Aidil Artawijaya, and Chief Private Ilham Dwi Laksana.

The overall evacuation team comprised TNI (the Indonesian Defense Forces) soldiers, members of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The government decided to use military aircraft to repatriate dozens of Indonesian citizens in Afghanistan to ensure their safety and security, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated during a press conference at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport here on Saturday.

The Air Force aircraft departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on August 18, 2021, at about 6:00 a.m. local time. However, the landing permit at the Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul was only granted by local authorities on August 20, 2021.

The evacuation process took two hours, longer than the original 30-minute plan.

The route taken by the aircraft was from Jakarta to Aceh Province and then to Colombo in Sri Lanka followed by Karachi and thereafter transited at Islamabad in Pakistan before finally reaching Kabul, Afghanistan.

In Islamabad, evacuation teams waited long for permission to land at Kabul's Hamid Karzai Airport from local authorities.

During takeoff from the Hamid Karzai Airport, the plane landed again in Islamabad for refueling before returning home using the same route: Karachi, Colombo, Aceh, and Jakarta//ANT