BFR Short Story

Transitioning On a BFR

By Nate Bender

7/24/2014

This story seeks to capture yet another important turning point in my life.  Up front let me define BFR…..it’s an Army idiom for Big F..king Rock!  I have a number of BFR stories, but will single out just one here!  It’s 1970.  I’m stationed on the outskirts of Sakon Nakon, Thailand, on a little Army outpost named Raum Chit Chai.  In another Army idiom it was referred to as Run Sh.t and Hide!  I hold the rank of a ‘butter bar,’ or 2^nd Lieutenant, which is at the bottom of the commissioned officer hierarchy.  The Rock Quarry Platoon, comprised of nearly one hundred men, is my leadership responsibility.  In addition, I was responsible for fifty Thai Nationals who augmented the 24-hour a day quarry operation.

As it can be said for most of my developmental stages, I can truthfully say that I was unqualified for such a responsible role.  I had never been in a rock quarry, and had zero familiarity with the equipment and personnel operating in one.  For unexplained reasons, I was assigned to lead the task of meeting critical rock crushing deadlines. The goal was to complete laying a rock base course for the last leg of Friendship Highway.  This highway traversed the length of Thailand from the southern end port of Sattahip to the northeast end in Nakon Phanom next to the Mekong River.  Anyway, when one is unqualified, or lacking knowledge, one calls for help to fill in the missing pieces.  That is what I did in having a senior Master Sargent corralled to be my front man, while I learned the operation and people.  It was real natural for me to defer to someone of lower rank who knew what he was doing.

So, a huge rock had been placed in the middle of a large quarry staging area.  How or why it was there was never revealed. To climb upon the rock required effort as it stood over eight feet high and was rounded, with a small flat surface on its topside.   The only person I witnessed ascending the rock was Master Sargent King, my surrogate leader.  Partly because he was short and wiry in stature, every time he asserted leadership messages to the men, he was likely to be found upon the rock.  He always wore a bright silver construction helmet with his name emblazoned on the front:  Msgt King.  The tenor of his voice coupled with his shiny helmet conveyed believable messages for all to be guided.  I stood in awe of the power of his leadership influence, wondering if I could ever replicate his impact.

As time went by, I became more and more comfortable in my bestowed leadership role.  I was able to form endearing relationships with most of the personnel, including the Thai Nationals.  Signs were constructed and hung to denote the quarry’s special status.  One read “We Get Your Rocks!”  Another referenced our being producers of quality aggregate for so many days.  The days were long and the work was dirty in the hot, tropical heat.  When all systems were functioning, as when all four rock crushers were operating and the quarry was providing an ample supply of rock to be crushed, it was a sight to behold, making me proud to be part of the undertaking.  If the folks back home could see me now!

One reoccurring quarrying event required my presence, that of setting off demolitions to extract rock from the quarry’s sand stone ground.  For matters of security, a commissioned officer had to sound an alarm siren, signally the impending explosion and to warn anyone in the area to make haste out of the quarry’s proximity.  Then I had to signal to the detonator to set the munitions charge.  An incredible, earth-shaking effect was then realized as new batches of rock rolled onto the quarry shelf.  I often recoiled from the noise and effect, but reveled in the massive production of rock!

Getting to the heart of this story…..as time went on, Msgt King’s presence became less visible.  My role as a leader began to emerge.  At one crucial point, I had to disseminate information and guidance to the men of the quarry.  Experiencing internal trepidations I nevertheless chose to make my maiden journey in mounting the BFR.  Looking out over the collection of quarry operators, including the Thai Nationals, I became emboldened by the sight of having all eyes focused upon my every word.  That singular experience of mounting the BFR launched my transcending identify of being a leader.  I had conquered my fears and put myself into the role of a leader, and thus felt its effect throughout my body.  I could be an effective leader!  The behavioral carryover became noteworthy, creating a foundation for future leadership venues.  In fact, my next assignment in Germany morphed into my becoming The Old Man!  That is a story already told!

The take away message from this BFR story is when we step into a role in which we are not fully qualified we have the potential to grow into that role, provided we discard pretense and function as an authentic person.  Transformative changes have a chance to emerge.  Ultimately we become different and hopefully a more expanded version of our unique piece of humanity.