Military Academies Adapt to Zoomers

National military training centers have made efforts to adjust their curriculum to the new wave of cadets coming from Generation Z, who have a very different way of thinking than their predecessors born in the 1980s.

KOMPAS/HARIS FIRDAUS

Air Force Academy (AAU) cadets participated in a computer-based learning about helicopter engine components, Tuesday (28/9/2021), at the AAU complex, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The three academies of the National Military (TNI) – Army Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy – have been grooming cadets from Generation Z, colloquially known as Zoomers, in recent years.

This has required the academies to accordingly take into account the characteristics of Generation Z, who are said to be different from the cadets born in the 1980s and 1990s. Zoomers are typically critical and digitally literate.

Public interest to join the military is still high, as revealed in a poll conducted by the Kompas research and development team.

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The poll, which was held from 21 to 22 September involving 503 respondents in 34 provinces, shows that 62.3 percent of respondents were interested in becoming members of the TNI. However, if disaggregated by generation, it appeared that the highest percentage of interest came from generation X (40-55 years), followed by Y (24-39) and Z (17-23).

Cadets currently training at the three military academies are part of Generation Z, who passed the age limit in the selection of prospective cadets, ranging from 17 years and 9 months to 22 years.

Generally, they are more intelligent, creative and critical. They are more familiar with technology-based tools.

The Army Military Academy is based in Magelang, Central Java, the Navy in Surabaya, East Java, and the Air Force in Yogyakarta. Kompas recently interviewed the academies’ governors, lecturers and cadets on separated occasions to shed light on the academies’ policies faced with Generation Z cadets.

“Generally, they are more intelligent, creative and critical. They are more familiar with technology-based tools," said Military Academy governor Major General Candra Wijaya.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Head of the Army Information Service, Candra Wijaya (right) during a visit to the Kompas Daily, Jakarta, Wednesday (19/9/2018). Candra Wijaya and his entourage were received by the Chief Editor of Kompas Daily, Budiman Tanuredjo (left) along with the editorial staff of Kompas.

Candra, who graduated from the Military Academy in 1991, said that when he was a cadet, no one dared to ask questions. However, now, lecturers at the Military Academy must be ready to take questions; for example, over the urgency of practicing rock climbing, the regulation for the internet having to turn off after 11 p.m. and for cell phones to be allowed only on weekends.

Navy Academy governor Major General (Marine) Nur Alamsyah said the way of thinking and acting of Generation Z cadets was different from that of the educators. Their technology virtuosity was said to be relevant to future prospects about sophisticated technology utilization in the case of war.

That, he said, would certainly have an effect on how would-be military officers would deal with complexity in decision-making.

"We are adjusting ourselves [to the situation]. We are trying to behave ourselves as a teacher, father and friend at the same time so that we can look into their minds and share things related to chivalry and heroism,” Nur said.

Research-based

Air Force Academy governor Air Vice Marshal Nanang Santoso said that as part of policy adaptation to Generation Z cadets, the academy had created the “Cadet Excellence” concept, whose implementation of educational programs was based on research.

While pointing to physical and metal buildup as crucial factors, he said the academy had since 2020 done away with the use of torture in the training regimen (non-torture program).

The cadets are encouraged to have an opinion and argue as the academy now has an educational program that is not too occupied with doctrination.

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"In the past, it was only doctrine without [allowing the trainees] the opportunity to impart suggestions and opinions," he said.

Educational military institutions are said to be facing problems related to the physical shape of the cadets, with Millennials and Generation Z being known as relatively sedentary, which is blamed on excessive fast food consumption and electronic devices overuse.

“They are vulnerable to injuries. The bone density is low,” Candra said, adding that the trend made physical exercise not as hard as it used to be.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Officers celebrate after being sworn in by President Joko Widodo at the 2019 TNI and Polri Prasetya Perwira (Praspa) ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (16/7/2019). The President inaugurated 781 candidate officers from the Military Academy (Akmil), Naval Academy (AAL), Air Force Academy (AAU), and Police Academy (Akpol).

A similar observation was conveyed by Nanang, especially in case of pilot training, saying that with eye health being one of the requirements, many prospective cadets were found suffering cataracts, which was, he suspected, due to the frequent use of gadgets.

Thinking ability

Among the prominent changes in cadet education is a shifted emphasis to cadets’ thinking skills. The academic proportion in training Army cadets is said to reach 70 percent of the total assessment, with educational load on physicality and personality at 15 percent each. This has been a significant change, given that physical training used to take up to 45 percent of the academic load.

Candra said Army authorities had become concerned about producing military officers while being required to build physical excellence and capabilities in making quick and proper decisions amid complex situations.

Air Force trainees have eight semesters to complete the educational course with the academy’s qualified lecturers being recruited through a tight selection process.

The academy is also said to have strengthened its literacy culture in the educational program through reading, speaking and writing skills.

The Indonesian Military must remain vigilant over potential armed conflicts in the face of modern and non-conventional forms of warfare, including hybrid war.

Meanwhile, among the improvements at the Navy Academy is the use of the 2018 curriculum, in which cadets are stimulated to broaden their insight by following the latest Navy development in the world.

Kusnanto Anggoro, a lecturer at the Defense University, pointed out that the academic curricula at the Army, Navy and Air Force academies had been arranged to fulfill the fourth-level diploma-equivalent accreditation. He said there were several provisions from the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry not necessarily in accordance with the context of national military and defense.

“Therefore, academic content related to war or military competence is lacking. In fact, the Indonesian Military must remain vigilant over potential armed conflicts in the face of modern and non-conventional forms of warfare, including hybrid war," Kusnanto said. (EDN/NAD/DEA/HRS/EGI/BR O)

This article was translated by Musthofid.