Pakde Bowo is the son of economist Soemitro Djojohadikusumo. Many of his childhoods were missed abroad, and he returned to Indonesia to enter the Military Academy in Magelang. After graduating from there he climbed a career path in the Army, serving in military operations in East Timor. His career skyrocketed at the Special Forces Command, where he led the Terrorism Detachment and then as commander general, leading the hostage release operation in Mapenduma