John Haseman

John B. Haseman is one of America’s most knowledgeable authorities on the Indonesian Armed Forces. As a career army officer he served three assignments – totaling ten years – at the at the American Embassy in Jakarta. His first assignment in Indonesia was from 1978 to 1981, when he managed the International Military Education and Training (IMET) Program for Indonesia and served as Army Division Chief, U.S. Defense Liaison Group, Jakarta. That assignment began more than 25 years of friendships with Indonesian military officers, many of whom have risen to the very top of the Indonesian armed forces and government over the years. He returned to Jakarta as the U.S. Assistant Army Attache from 1982 through 1985. His final assignment in Jakarta was as the U.S. Defense and Army Attache, from 1990 to 1994. Colonel Haseman has visited 46 of Indonesia’s islands, and he returns several times each year to visit friends and remain current on political and military affairs in Indonesia.

He has published more than 250 articles, book chapters, and book reviews for such respected publications as Jane’s Defence Weekly, Jane’s Intelligence Review, Asian Affairs, Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, Defence Review Asia, Southeast Asian Affairs, and the Far Eastern Economic Review. He is the author of four books: “The Thai Resistance Movement During World War II;” “The Military and Democracy in Indonesia: Challenges, Politics, and Power” (co-authored with Angel Rabasa); “Toward A Stronger U.S.-Indonesia Security Relationship (co-authored with Eduardo Lachica); and “The U.S.-Indonesia Security Relationship: The Next Steps (also co-authored with Eduardo Lachica). The latter two publications were sponsored by USINDO. He has contributed book chapters on Indonesia, Thailand, and Burma to many international publishers. He lectures frequently on Indonesian affairs at American and Australian universities and is a frequent consultant to government agencies in the United States.

A Southeast Asia specialist, Colonel Haseman spent more than 18 years in the region. In addition to his Indonesia experiences he also served as the U.S. Defense and Army Attaché in Rangoon, Burma from 1987 to 1990, a period of intense interest for Burma and the rest of the world. He also filled assignments in Thailand and the Republic of Korea. During the Vietnam War then-Captain Haseman spent 2.5 years in combat, serving first with the 9th Infantry Division (1967-1968) and later as a district-level advisor in the Mekong Delta (1971-1973). He speaks the Indonesian, Thai, and Burmese languages.

Colonel Haseman earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri (1963), a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Kansas (1971), and a Master of Military Art and Science Degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (1977). He completed the U.S. Army War College in 1985. During his military career the United States bestowed on him more than 40 awards and decorations for outstanding service in command, staff, and combat positions. He was also decorated by the governments of Indonesia and the former Republic of South Vietnam.

Since his retirement in 1995 Colonel Haseman resides in Grand Junction, Colorado. In his spare time he enjoys travel, playing tennis, and hiking the Colorado mountains and the Utah canyon country.