Military Police Corps (Indonesia)


The Puspom TNI or Joint Military Police Command of the Indonesian National Armed Forces is one of the central executive agencies within the TNI which has the role of administering administrative assistance to the army, navy, and air force as embodiment and guidance through the operation of Military Police functions. Puspom TNI oversees the three military police organizations which are the Army Military Police, Naval Military Police, and Air Force Military Police.
The military police of Indonesia perform duties in the area of law enforcement involving members of the military and may coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Indonesian National Police and/or the Corruption Eradication Commission.
The military police of Indonesia is not considered as a Gendarmerie, as it is only responsible solely to enforce discipline and law and order towards members of the armed forces of all ranks.
Highest position in the Military Police Corps is Provost Marshal of Military Police, a position held by a 2-star general/admiral/marshall from the military police corps of any of each service branch.

History

Prior to the 4th of May 2015, the military police units was only present within each of the armed forces branches. At the TNI headquarters level, the special staff officer was appointed as the main aide and advisor to TNI commander regarding military policing affairs. On 4 May 2015, the commander of the Armed Forces Gen. Moeldoko reorganized the military police units of the three branches, he commanded the special staff officer to be formed as a Military Police Command to improve law and order within all of the three branches within the armed forces. Since then, the Puspom TNI became the highest military police authority organization with the armed forces overseeing the military police units of the three branches.

Duties and Tasks

The main duties and tasks of the Military Police in Indonesia are to conduct:
  1. Criminal Investigation and Physical Security
  2. Law Enforcement
  3. Enforcement of Military Discipline and Order
  4. Investigation
  5. Management of Military Prisoners
  6. Management of prisoners of war
  7. State Protocol duties
  8. Regulating military traffic and issuing military driving licenses.
The duties and tasks mentioned above are to be conducted in/for the scope of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.
In Indonesia, the Military Police does not have authority towards civilians as it is the realm of the Indonesian National Police, and in the other hand, the civilian Police does not have authority towards active members of the military, except accompanied by the Military police. If a military member is caught red-handed by the civilian police, then the violator will be sent to the Military Police or the Military police would be contacted.

The Army, Navy, and Air force have their own Military Police unit which focuses on their own branches, but any Military policemen from either branch can take action towards military members from a different branch if caught red-handed, then the violator will be sent to the Military police of their branch. The Military Police in Indonesia are known locally as Polisi Militer sometimes shortened "PM" or "POM".

Executive agencies under the supervision of the Puspom TNI

Each armed forces branch has its own executive agency regarding military policing affairs, which are as follows:
  1. Army Military Police Command
  2. Navy Military Police Command
  3. Air Force Military Police Command
The Puspom TNI as a centralized-command of the Military Police corps oversees the three military police branches as a compound unit within the armed forces organization. The members in the Puspom TNI originates from the three military police corps.

Uniforms

The uniforms worn by the Military police are different for the three unit branches. The Army Military Police wear dark green, the Navy Military Police wear blue-gray and the Air Force Military Police wear light blue. The beret of the three Military police corps of Indonesia is the same which is blue, dragged to the left with the Military police symbol on the right side when worn. Military policemen are identifiable by their white belts, white lanyards, white helmets, and brassard worn on their upper left sleeve imprinted the word "PM".
Military policemen have different types of uniforms. The uniform worn during training and operations is the Disruptive Pattern Material camouflage uniform, while during law enforcement duties, the non-camouflage uniform is worn. To distinguish military members between Military policemen when wearing the camouflage uniform can be noticed by the white Aiguillette worn on their uniform, which indicates a member of the Military police.