Master Sergeant Chatman was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He has four brothers and three sisters. He entered the Air Force in 1980 and retired in 2003, spending 23 years on active duty. MSgt Chatman served 13 years as a recruiter in the San Antonio and Houston areas. He attended the University of Houston-Victoria where he received his BA in Business Management. He has started his twentieth year at Thurgood Marshall High School.