By: Prabowo Subianto [taken from the Book: Military Leadership Notes from Experience Chapter I: Exemplary Leaders of The Indonesian Armed Forces]
Through the ups and downs of his career, Pak Bagyo consistently defended his men. I learned from his friendly nature and loyalty. I understand why people gave him the nickname ‘Bima’, after a mythical Javanese figure known for his closeness to his men. He may look fierce with a bushy moustache, but he is always smiling. He is kind and always joking.
He also always led from the front and sets an example for his men. Even though everyone knew his singing was not good, it did not stop him from singing. He often made everyone laugh and feel entertained not because of good singing but because he did not care about his singing. He sings to entertain his men.
I felt quite close to Pak Bagyo from the time I was a young officer. He was always cheerful. I remember him by his bushy moustache and his strapping body. He was also humorous, always calm, and composed. We called him ‘Bima’ (a popular warrior character from Mahabharata).
He briefly served as Pak Harto’s bodyguard. That’s why I became familiar with him. He also had a strong and sturdy physique and was well-versed in martial arts; he was a black belt holder like Pak Luhut Pandjaitan. Since his days as a cadet, he has always been a straightforward, to-the-point person.
When Pak Bagyo was KOPASSUS commander, I was appointed as his deputy. I was proud of this promotion. Pak Bagyo had been involved in East Timor operations. He also took part in Woyla Operation, a commando mission to resolve the Don Mueang International Airport hostage-taking crisis in Bangkok, Thailand.
Through the ups and downs of his career, he always stood by his men. Some of the things I learned from him include his friendly nature and loyalty in defending his men. He was always calm, even when he got injured. I understand why people gave him the nickname ‘Bima’. He may look fierce with his bushy moustache, but he was kind, always smiling, amusing and cheerful.
He also always leads from the front and sets an example. Even though everyone knew he has a husky voice, that does not stop him from confidently singing in public. But surprisingly, it made everyone laugh and feel entertained, not because it was good but because he could not care less if anyone liked his voice or not. He sang to entertain his men.
