YOU HAVE 30-SECONDS!
The Story of Saul Bookman - USAF – Post 9/11
By Judy Skilling
When you’re 21, with a family to support, most people wouldn’t consider joining the military as a viable option to provide for their family. In Saul’s case, it was. Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, Saul was working three jobs to financially provide for his wife and young son.
Life was stressful, challenging, and very hard. He didn’t have much going for him besides putting food on the table and a roof over his family’s head. It wasn’t until his younger sister introduced him to the idea of joining the military, that it sparked a seed that forever changed his life. He went off to boot camp, leaving behind his wife and child, and entered the military lifestyle.
His first experience with a drill instructor caught him off guard. He shares that when the bus pulled into boot camp, the drill instructor got onto the bus and yelled, “You have 30 seconds to get your stuff and get off this bus!” From that brief interaction, Saul knew he wanted to do THAT job, but it would be a few years before he would become a U.S. Air Force drill instructor.
After basic, he was sent off to Florida as an aerospace ground technician. During that time, he became involved with the Honor Guard and Color Guard. It was something he was proud to participate in and performed in over 100 different ceremonies and funerals.
He wanted to do more, to have more of an influence and then he recalled his boot camp experience with the drill instructor. He submitted his package for special duty to become a ‘Military Training Instructor.’ He was accepted and got sent off to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
Being an MTI was one of Saul’s best experiences in the military. Now he was the guy yelling at brand-new recruits to get off the bus in 30 seconds.
He was the pivotal changemaker for thousands of recruits. It was his job to break these people down and mold them into successful airmen. He connected with them, encouraged them, disciplined them, and sent them off into the Air Force. One of the things he shared was that he didn’t quite understand or fully grasp the magnitude of the impact he was making on these people when he first started as an MTI.
One particular story he shared was with a recruit from Detroit. This recruit had a rough upbringing and when he entered into Air Force boot camp, he was in Saul’s squadron. This particular recruit attempted to square off with Saul and if you’ve ever been through any kind of military boot camp (or seen something similar on TV or in the movies), you know that it’s a bad idea to challenge a drill instructor.
Needless to say, the recruit lost. Saul managed to break this recruit down and build him back up. After leaving boot camp, this recruit went on to have a successful Air Force career and returned back to Detroit mentoring young guys and making a difference in his community. Talk about impact and the ripple effect!
Unfortunately, there are downsides of being an MTI. Saul shares that there is an image that you’re supposed to uphold as a drill instructor. You’re supposed to be the ‘rough & tough’ persona that comes along with the label of drill sergeant.
It is a job in which you’re not allowed to show weakness, ask for help, or appear undisciplined.
It is a highly stressful job, working upwards of 14-16 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. He shares that there were traumatic experiences when recruits couldn’t handle the intensity of boot camp and resorted to drastic measures. In those situations, it was challenging to keep going and focusing on the other recruits. You just move on and continue on the mission of training recruits.
After spending 6 years as an MTI, Saul decided to put up his drill instructor boots and move on to Colorado where he finished his remaining enlistment and left the Air Force.
He pursued his education and attended the University of Arizona where he received his Bachelors and Masters in Journalism. Currently, he is the general manager of PHNX, a complete digital sports network.
In reflecting on his 14-year service to the Air Force, he shares that one of his biggest takeaways was when his MTI trainer told him, “Bookman, if you can’t train them, nobody can”. This quote became his motto in life and it has benefitted him in the military and as a journalist.