By Mike Barton
Public Affairs Specialist

If the depot had to give a nickname to Thomas E. Hoover, it would probably be “Mr. T58.” Because when Hoover looks at a T58 engine, he sees it unlike anyone else. In his eyes, the man-sized assembly of casing, turbines, air and fuel lines, and other components is part of the bigger machine that carries troops into harm’s way – and some of those men are his friends.

Hoover came to work at the NADEP two and a half years ago with an extensive background in maintenance of the T58. He had spent the better part of a 20-year career in the Corps working on H-46 engines, and rotor heads and blades in intermediate-level maintenance, including a seven-year stint as a maintenance instructor for the engine and its components. He really knew his engines.

Today, Hoover assembles T58s under the Engine Reliability Improvement Program, which provides virtually new engines to the fleet to replace the older, “tired iron.” He loves the work. The team has already received positive feedback from warfighters who are using the newer ERIP engines in their old aircraft.

“Thomas isn’t here for the money,” says James Best, T58 engine shop supervisor. “He never takes a break, except for lunch, and he works from the time he gets here until the time he goes home.” Best has an enormous amount of faith in Hoover and his work. So much that, despite Hoover’s short amount of time here, he already has the responsibility to train his coworkers, and to stamp their work off when they are done. He can work with anybody, says Best. “If you brought the devil in here,” says Best, “I imagine he’d be working with him too.”

Best and Hoover’s fellow engine repairers know what makes the man tick – he hasn’t forgotten about his fellow Marines who still fly in the helicopters these engines support. The Marines call it Semper Fidelis – Latin for “always faithful.” That dedication is the basis for a work ethic that would be the envy of any supervisor.

“Some people look at what they do as nothing more than a job,” says Hoover. “They leave whatever they work on each day with the attitude of ‘it’ll be here tomorrow.’ I don’t believe in that.” Hoover has his own motto regarding the engines he works on – “Let’s get ‘em out there where they belong.”

It seems that you can’t work with a guy like that without some of his attitude rubbing off on you. In his section of the T58 shop, Hoover and coworkers smoothly apply their magic to four shiny engines mounted on stands like skinless Terminators in factory formation. You might not guess that, despite their easy manner and occasional ribbing, they are two weeks ahead of schedule. According to Best, the team would be even further ahead if it wasn’t waiting for parts from the manufacturer. Much of that success is because Hoover undercuts a 27-hour engine job by about 10 hours, which, says Best, “he’s been doing since Day 1.”

When you can get Hoover to take his hands off of an engine long enough to think about it, he will tell you that the differences between what he did in the Marines and what he does here are negligible. “The main part of the job – working on the engines – was the easy part,” says Hoover. “The only real challenge was adjusting to a different system and the additional paperwork that came with it.”

It has been six years since Hoover left the Corps, but the tall, trim artisan looks like he could fit right back into his dress uniform, and still carry it right. His neatly trimmed regulation mustache and high-and-tight, flattop haircut give away his military roots, and his success as a team player is a natural by-product of his service. After several years working outside the fence, he was glad to be back. “I was used to dealing with people who cared about what they do.”

“Some people can be in a program for years and years and still not know their job,” says Hoover’s boss. “Thomas knows his job – and what he’s here for – 100 percent.”

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Cutline: Thomas Hoover’s dedication to the warfighter has a profound effect on the way he and others do business here. (Photo by Mike Barton)