President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
MILITARY STRATEGIST
1949
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) was born on September 9, 1949 in Pacitan, East Java, and spent most of his childhood and adolescence in the area. His father, R. Soekotjo, was a retired soldier with the rank of First Lieutenant. Meanwhile, Sitti Habibah was the daughter of one of the founders of the Salafiyah Islamic Boarding School, Tremas. When he was in the third grade of the Elementary School, his village was used as a place for war training. That was when SBY's admiration for the army arose. In the fifth grade, his determination to become a soldier grew stronger when his family took him on a trip to the National Military Academy (AMN), Megalang, Central Java.
1970
After graduating from high school in 1968, SBY immediately wanted to become a soldier. Unfortunately, he was late in registering due to incorrect registration information. Therefore, he attended the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institut Teknologi 10 November Surabaya (ITS), although only up to campus orientation. Not long after, he entered the Junior High School Teacher Education (PG-SLP) in Malang, East Java. While in Malang, he prepared himself to take part in the regional Akabri selection in East Java, and the central level in Bandung. Towards the end of 1969, after passing a series of tests in Malang and Bandung, SBY was declared to have passed, and began his education in Magelang starting in 1970.
1973
In 1973, SBY completed his education at the Military Academy, and was named the best graduate of 987 cadets of the same class, and received the Tri Sakti Wiratama Badge, an award for the highest achievement in mental, physical and intellectual matters. His career began with the position of Dan Tonpan Yonif Linud 330 Kostrad (Platoon III Commander in Rifle Company A, Airborne Infantry Battalion 330/Tri Dharma, Kostrad) in 1974-1976, with 30 soldiers in charge. With his English language skills, he had the opportunity to take part in airborne training and commando (ranger) troop education at the United States Army Education Center, Fort Benning, Georgia, United States in 1976.
1976
After taking Airborne and Ranger training in the United States in 1976, SBY married Kristiani Herawati (Ani), daughter of General Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, as his wife. Their marriage was blessed with two sons, namely Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Eddie Baskoro Yudhoyono. Not long after, he was given the position of Commander of Platoon II Company A Battalion Linud 305/Tengkorak (Dan Tonpan Yonif 305 Kostrad) in 1976-1977 to fight in East Timor.
1983
SBY had the opportunity to study in the United States (US) while serving at the Indonesian Army Headquarters. From 1982-1983, he attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Fort Benning, US, as well as on-the-job training at the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, US, 1983. Next, he attended the Jungle Warfare School, Panama, 1983. Not long after returning to Indonesia, SBY was assigned to study the use of anti-tank weapons in snow-covered terrain in Belgium.
1989
In 1989, SBY became the best graduate of the Indonesian Army Staff and Command School (Seskoad) in Bandung, and was then trusted to become a lecturer at Seskoad (1989-1992) and was placed in the Indonesian Army Information Service (Dispenad). After completing his MA education in Management Science at Webster University in 1990, SBY was drawn to the ABRI Headquarters in 1993 to become the Personal Staff Coordinator (Korspri) of the Commander of the Indonesian Army, General Edi Sudrajat.
1995
SBY was assigned to be a UN officer in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1995. After returning to Indonesia, and then serving as Kasdam Jaya, SBY was dragged into the case of July 27, 1996. Later, SBY claimed to know nothing about it. The reason was, before July 27, all disciplinary operations had been taken over by Pangdam Jaya, Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso. The July 27 incident ultimately did not stop SBY's career.
2000
In 1999, SBY accepted President Gus Dur's offer to fill the position of Minister of Mining and Energy (Mentamben). Because of this, he had to retire early from military service with the final rank of lieutenant general. When he retired, his final rank was the title of Honorary General, which was given by President Gus Dur. In 2000, SBY's position as presidential aide was changed from Mentamben to Menkopolsoskam.
2001
When President Gus Dur wanted to dissolve Parliament and impose a state of emergency, SBY was one of the people who asked him to abandon the plan. In 2001, Gus Dur also issued a Presidential Decree ordering that special actions and steps be taken in order to create order, security, and law as soon as possible. However, SBY did not implement the Presidential Decree, and this resulted in him being removed from his position as minister. Although he was offered the position of Minister of Transportation and Minister of Home Affairs, he refused the two positions.
2004
When Gus Dur stepped down from his position as president, then Megawati stepped in to replace him, SBY was trusted to sit back in the cabinet as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs. However, in 2004, he resigned from that position because he was no longer trusted by the president. After that, he ran for president in the 2004 presidential election from the Democratic Party. Paired with Jusuf Kalla (JK), SBY defeated Megawati who was paired with the Chairman of PBNU at that time, Hasyim Muzadi. With this result, SBY became the sixth President of Indonesia, and also the first president to be directly elected.
2005
In 2005, together with JK, SBY resolved the issue between the central government and the separatist movement in Aceh. Through the agreement in Helsinki Finland, the Free Aceh Movement and the central government agreed to end the conflict that had been going on since the 1970s peacefully, with a number of points of agreement.
2009
In the 2009 presidential election, SBY parted ways with JK, who was also running for president, and decided to run as a presidential candidate by partnering with an economist, Boediono, as his vice presidential candidate. The 2009 presidential election was finally won by SBY-Boediono in one round. Meanwhile, in the legislative election, the Democratic Party received a three-fold increase in votes compared to the previous election, namely 20 million votes, and made the party with the Mercy symbol the owner of the most seats in the DPR.
2010
The Democrats held a congress in 2010. There were three cadres competing for the General Seat, namely Marzuki Ali, Anas Urbaningrum, and Andi Mallaranggeng. At that time, SBY was said to be supporting Andi Mallaranggeng. However, of the three candidates, it was not Andi Mallaranggeng who emerged as the winner, but Anas Urbaningrum. In the following years, corruption cases that ensnared elite cadres of the political party, including Anas Urbaningrum, had affected the image of the political party to be bad. In 2013, SBY replaced Anas Urbaningrum as the General Chairperson of the Democrat Party at the Extraordinary Congress Session (KLB) of the Democrat Party.
2014
The Democratic Party held a convention by inviting a number of figures outside the party. In addition to recruiting presidential candidates, the effort was also said to be SBY's way to boost the party's votes which had declined following the corruption case of the party's elite. Based on the results of a national survey, out of 11 convention participants, Dahlan Iskan emerged as the winner. Because Dahlan Iskan's election was considered unable to compete in the 2014 presidential election, SBY did not use the results of the convention.
2017
SBY nominated his son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), to contest the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. The nomination surprised many people, because AHY had no experience in government, and his military career was on the rise. SBY's decision to nominate his eldest son did not bear sweet fruit. AHY lost in the first round of the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.
2019
AHY was elected by acclamation to replace SBY as the General Chairperson of the Democratic Party for 2020-2025. Later, in 2021, a number of former Democratic Party cadres held an Extraordinary Congress in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, and decided on Moeldoko as the elected General Chairperson. Regarding this, SBY as the Chairman of the High Council of the Democratic Party stated that the Deli Serdang Extraordinary Congress was illegal and legally invalid.
English 
Indonesian