Senior NCO Yitzhak Taito is not even thinking of retirement. After all, he has only spent 52 years in uniform, most of them as the IDF's Officers School ("Bahad 1") drill sergeant.
Taito, who is considered a legendary figure in the Israeli army, was honored Monday by generations of officers, including the entire General Staff, who came to celebrate his 70th birthday with him.
Taito, who enlisted in 1959, is the IDF's longest-serving soldier. He was named Bahad 1's drill sergeant in 1964, and was once the superior officer of every member of the General Staff, including IDF Chief Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz andhis recent predecessors.
- "If you don't mind, I'll refer to you all as my sons, since that is how I see you," Taito told the officers.
"You have been an example to us all," Gantz toasted his former drill sergeant, adding his training was a staple in the education of all IDF commanders.
Gantz awarded Taito with a life achievement certificate of merit, and wished him many more years in service.