Magelang – Cadets from the Royal Military College-Duntroon (RMC-D) in Australia expressed their admiration for the discipline and hard work demonstrated by the Indonesian cadets during their visit to the Military Academy (Akmil) in Magelang.
This sentiment was shared by the Australian cadets as part of the visit by Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, who was invited by Indonesia’s Defense Minister, Prabowo Subianto, to sign an enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Indonesia and Australia.
“The most important thing I observed is that the Indonesian cadets at Akmil possess a strong work ethic and discipline,” said one of the Australian cadets, Maxwell Jon Kiernan, at Akmil, Magelang, on Thursday, August 29.
Similar impressions were shared by Lola Kathleen May Charles, a cadet at RMC-D. She noted that the dedication of the Indonesian cadets to their training and studies was truly inspiring.
“I think the time and dedication they put into their training have really inspired me, so I hope I can take that back home and work harder,” she said.
Captain Damon Radford, an exchange officer who accompanied the Australian cadets, explained that ten Australian cadets participated in the visit to Akmil.
During their nine-day visit, they engaged in various activities alongside the Indonesian cadets, including participating in mentoring and guidance sessions (bimsus) and attending English language classes.
In addition, the cadets visited several cultural landmarks, such as Borobudur and Prambanan temples, and toured nearby cities like Yogyakarta and Semarang. The Australian cadets are scheduled to return home tomorrow.
“They have participated in several activities with the cadets, such as bimsus after classes or attending classes like English lessons,” Radford said.
He noted that the visit, part of the Foreign Academy Exchange Program (FAEP), serves as a valuable opportunity to foster cooperation between the two countries. Notably, Prabowo Subianto was one of the first participants in the FAEP at the Royal Military College-Duntroon in 1974.
“This is an excellent opportunity to enhance cooperation between Australia and Indonesia. For the first FAEP in 1974, Minister Prabowo Subianto participated as a cadet visiting Australia. This visit serves as an example of how we can improve skills between Australia and Indonesia, just like today,” Radford added.
The program is scheduled to continue with a visit by Indonesian cadets to Australia from October 10-21.
“On October 10-21, cadets from Akmil will visit Australia for the exchange program as well. The same cadets who accompanied the Australian cadets here will also visit RMC,” he said. (RR)
