The Journey Of The KRI Bima Suci Commander, Lt. Col. Laut Waluyo, Started From A Construction Worker

Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant Colonel) Laut (P) Waluyo/Antara

JAKARTA - The journey of a person's life, no one can know. As is the belief in Islam about mate, sustenance, and death has been written in Lauhulmahfudz.

This is what happened to Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) Laut (P) Waluyo. He is the Commander of the KRI Bima Suci. A training sailing ship belonging to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Navy (AL).

As a child, Marine Lieutenant Colonel (P) Waluyo admitted that he never dreamed of becoming a TNI soldier, nor did he think of it.

Perhaps, it was also motivated by the economic condition of his family who was not as lucky as his friends. When he was educated in elementary school (SD) to continue to junior high school (SMP), he had to live in simplicity.

In fact, one of the worst peaks in his life was that he was forced to give up his dream of being able to continue his education to high school (SMA). The reason, has no cost.

What is clear, do not imagine or compare the ease of access to education at that time with current conditions. Of course the conditions will be much different.

The overflow of sadness and feelings of pity because he could not continue his education he spilled. He remembers very well having a friend from elementary school to junior high school to continue his studies to high school. Meanwhile, Waluyo can only hold on to his dreams and seems to have lost because of financial problems.

"My friend immediately entered high school, while I had to quit because my parents couldn't afford it," recalled Lt. Col. Laut (P) Waluyo.

By wearing the TNI AL uniform along with the typical military stripe motif, he again continued the pain of the struggle at that time. The feeling of being persistent and not knowing the word giving up seems to have existed in him since he was a teenager.

This is at least illustrated when he looks at the results of his 1991/1992 Junior High School Pure Ebtanas Value List (DANEM).

A white piece of paper and a little blurry, but still clearly written a number of the scores of the Waluyo teenager.

Waluyo is a graduate student of SMPN 1 Karanganyar, Kebumen District, Central Java. By the time he finished his studies, there were six DANEM subjects. The results he obtained were also quite good or fairly good or at least it would be a shame if he didn't continue to high school.

For the value of Pancasila Moral Education Subjects (PMP), Waluyo achieved the highest score of 8.67, followed by Indonesian 8.11, Mathematics 7.33, Natural Sciences (IPA) 5.67, Social Sciences (IPS) 6, 83, and the lowest was English 4.40 with a final total of 41.01.

Seeing the average score he achieved, Waluyo felt he was worthy and could enter a favorite school in the Gombong area.

"I feel sorry for my NEM. I have to use it to continue my education," he said with a smile.

In order to connect to his favorite school, Waluyo instilled a strong determination and was willing to become a construction worker. It was the only way that he could continue his education even though he was well aware that he had to be a few years behind from his peers.

For him, being a handyman or a coolie is not an insult but a source of encouragement to achieve a dream. For two years, Waluyo worked hard as a coolie.

He went with his brother who worked as a construction worker. In addition to continuing education as desired, of course, it is also to help ease the burden on parents who are stuck with economic problems.

After two years of working as a coolie, the money or wages he received during that time was always saved. In the end, at the time of admission for the new school year, Waluyo also enrolled in his favorite high school, SMA Negeri Gombong.

"Alhamdulillah, I applied and was accepted," he said.

Motivated

As time goes by, Waluyo enjoys wearing white and gray uniform. At one point, his school was visited by Military Academy (Akmil) cadets.

Unexpectedly, from several Akmil cadets who came to his school, Waluyo seemed to recognize one of them. Sure enough, he was quite surprised and touched to see that his friends from elementary and junior high school had now become Akmil cadets.

Since that incident, he began to be inspired to become a cadet like his friend. After completing his education, he went to his parents and closest relatives to express his desire to become a cadet. One by one, Waluyo visited his relatives while asking for prayers to be accepted as cadets.

At the time of registering the candidates for Military Academy cadets, Waluyo emphasized that he only had the prayers of his parents and extended family. "I just ask for a blessing, I want to register cadets," he said.

The power of the prayers of parents, siblings, grandfather, grandmother, and extended family brought such great blessings to Waluyo. He was declared graduated and accepted into the Navy. Now, he is trusted by the TNI to serve as the commander of the KRI Bima Suci.

Apart from Marine Lieutenant Colonel (P) Waluyo, Prada Haidir Anam also experienced a story full of emotion and struggle. His journey to become the TNI is not much different from the KRI Bima Suci Ship Commander.

Before becoming the Army (AD), he was a handyman or construction worker. Around mid 2021, Prada Haidir Anam completed his education.

During his time as a construction worker, Prada Haidir Anam had a friend who was also a construction worker at the Indonesian Army Headquarters, named Sandi.

In the course of his life, the figure of Sandi has a big role in what Prada Haidir Anam has achieved today. Despite his illness and limitations, Sandi helped his friend a lot when he was selected to enter the TNI.

Sandi Rihata, a friend of Prada Haidir Anam, said he was happy and happy because his comrade in arms had succeeded in becoming a TNI soldier.

At the time of Prada Haidir Anam's inauguration, Sandi could not attend in person due to illness. He was disappointed because he could not meet his friend who is now a TNI soldier.

"Actually, Sandi really wanted to meet Anam, but because he was sick he couldn't come," he said.

However, this feeling of disappointment paid off when Prada Haidir Anam came directly to the Army Headquarters to meet him and his comrades in arms when they were still working as builders.

The two stories of TNI personnel's life journeys teach us all many things. At least, even in the most difficult situations, goals can still be achieved as long as they have a strong spirit and determination.

Screenshot of KRI Bima Suci Commander Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col) Laut (P) Waluyo. (ANTARA/Muhammad Zulfikar).