[1] Previously, he was the 30th Army Chief of Staff from 25 July 2014 after being appointed by President Yudhoyono to replace General Budiman.

In June 2015, he was nominated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to replace TNI commander General Moeldoko, who was nearing retirement age.

Nurmantyo joined government officials and social activists in a march to support religious tolerance during the November 2016 Jakarta protests.

Alongside Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Indonesian National Police chief Tito Karnavian and Islamic activist Yenny Wahid, he led public support of interfaith unity as a counterbalance to protests against Jakarta's Christian ethnic-Chinese governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama which included elements of intolerance and Sinophobia.

[2][3] Nurmantyo officially retired from military service on 31 March 2018 amid rising speculation he would run for the presidency in 2019.