ARMY MERITORIOUS SERVICE STAR OF INDONESIA — BINTANG KARTIKA EKA PAKSI

The National Army, or Armed Forces, of Indonesia is a key factor in Indonesian politics, economy, and history. It has influenced the award system so greatly that the military orders and medals were dominating till 2009 when the civil orders turned equal to military ones. The paper sums up the legal acts, presidential decrees, media and other open sources to reconstruct the history of the Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi (Pakçi before 1972) — Army Meritorious Service Star of Indonesia. The Star was instituted in late 1968, along with the Bintang Jalasena — Navy Meritorious Service Star, and Bintang Swa Bhuwana Paksa — Air Force Meritorious Service Star. There are three classes of Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi — Utama (first), Pratama (second), and Nararya (third). The Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi is bestowed to the top grass military officials, in strict correspondence to their ranks of one-, two-, three-, and four-stars generals. The Order may be given to civil officials for their merits in the development of the National Army of Indonesia. The Order is also awarded to the top generals of the foreign armies who collaborate with the Indonesian Armed Forces.