Tobyhanna Army Depot Celebrated Workers on National Tradesman Day

Tobyhanna Army Depot wouldn’t be the world-class organization it is today without the skill, dedication, and precision of its tradespeople. On National Tradesman Day, Tobyhanna joins our nation in saluting those who utilize trade skills to make missions successful. Their craftsmanship is the backbone of every successful project, ensuring our warfighters have the tools they need to excel.

Jonathan Jeffery’s six-year depot career has already been filled with many different opportunities. Upon joining Team Tobyhanna in 2019 as a material handler for the depot’s Family, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation divisions, he was responsible for unloading trucks, taking care of the warehouse and product that comes in, and making deliveries around the installation between the different cafeterias. He then joined the Defense Logistics Agency for roughly a year and a half where he helped process military parts, such as Army and Navy assets, and would get them ready to be shipped.

Today, he works as a composite worker with the Equipage Branch of TYAD’s Integration Support Division. His primary day-to-day function sees him sanding down old or damaged fiberglass and carbon fiber military equipment and making it feel like new again.

Jeffery’s prior experience working with sanding and restoration came mainly right from his garage at home. He described his work as being very gratifying.

“I’ve had my own personal experience in my garage at home and I’ve had mentors to teach me along the way, so I took a shot, applied for the job, and thankfully I got picked,” said Jeffery. “I like restoring old stuff and making it new, no matter what it is. For example, last year I did an old table. It’s always really neat to see the equipment go from a state of disrepair to what it ends up looking like and it’s cool to know that I took part in it. I find it satisfying.”

Jeffery said that he is thankful for his job at TYAD as it allows him the opportunity to maintain a healthy work-life balance, perform work he genuinely enjoys doing, and to give back to the military which his father spent 20 years serving as a member of the National Guard.

“I think it’s a great job as far as what it offers. I’ve gotten to spend more time with my family than any other job I’ve had in the past,” said Jeffery. “Between that, the benefits, and supporting the mission, it is really great. Also, my father spent 20 years in the National Guard so it’s cool to give back in that way too.”

Jeffery added that he’d love to see even more teamwork and positivity across the depot, saying that when people come together and support each other, it makes for a strong workplace.

Jeffery’s message to tradespeople, whether they do it as a personal passion or as a profession, is to stay motivated and persistent.

“I think that if people are passionate about something, they should pursue it, be persistent, and not give up. That’s what I did and what motivated me. I found something I really liked doing and just kept pushing myself,” said Jeffery. “Even if you get denied a few times, you don’t give up. You stay positive and push forward. I got to take something that was just a personal passion of mine and make it a career, which is great. I feel very blessed about that.”

The importance of hard work and learning a trade was instilled in Ronnie Clark from a young age. With his father owning a construction company for over 25 years, Clark saw firsthand how valuable trade work was.

When it came time for Clark to pursue a career of his own, he knew trade work was the right path for him. Born and raised in New Jersey, Clark obtained his HVAC license from Lincoln Technical Institute in Mahwah, New Jersey and has his barber license to boot.

13 years ago, Clark moved to Pennsylvania and has been a member of Team Tobyhanna for nearly four years. Clark was hired to work in fabrication and is currently on a developmental assignment as a Composite Worker supporting the M139 Volcano mine dispensing system in Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Equipage Branch.

When the opportunity for a new position presented itself, Clark rose to the occasion and volunteered to move to this new role. As evidenced by his multiple licenses, Clark enjoys the opportunity to sharpen skills from a diverse background, learn new ones, and step up to ensure mission success whenever necessary. Clark’s agility, adaptability, diverse expertise, and commitment to mission success are indicative of Team Tobyhanna’s dynamic workforce across the installation.

One of the many skillsets he has experience with is sanding – an essential component of his current position. This combined with his excellent track record made him the ideal person to ensure our nation’s warfighters have the assets they need when they need them.

“I look forward to moving around and growing. Tobyhanna provides the opportunity to find a career path where you enjoy your work and are successful in it.”

Clark has always taken great pride in his work and added that the nature of his work at the depot only provides extra motivation to his already lofty standards.

“I most definitely take pride in my work,” said Clark. “I’m working for the warfighter. I have not served, but I understand the importance of making sure everything I touch is done to the best of my ability.”

Clark said providing his expertise and hard work as a member of Team Tobyhanna is particularly rewarding because of the organization’s mission.

“This is one of the jobs that make you feel like you’re supporting something bigger than yourself. It’s a fulfilling job.”

When he’s not casting a broad net in offering his many skillsets to Team Tobyhanna, you can find Clark casting a line as a self-described diehard salt water and freshwater fisherman.

Clark resides in Pittston with his wife and four children.

Stephen Haduck of the Sheet Metal Fabrication & Assembly Branch says a chance experience led to a decades-long career as a cross-functional tradesman.

“I went on a school field trip and saw someone welding,” he said. “It immediately attracted me and looked like an exciting thing to do. That field trip paved the way for my future.”

Shortly after, he enrolled in a vocational-technical school and started working at a welding shop before he even graduated high school. These practical experiences sparked Haduck’s interest in pursuing welding as a long-term career. After earning an associate’s degree from the Pennsylvania College of Technology, he began a full-time job specializing in fabrication as well as TIG welding both stainless steel and aluminum.

Haduck worked in the private sector for 16 years, specializing in a variety of metal-related disciplines from welding to sheet metal forming and beyond. He also gained additional expertise through freelance opportunities.

In 2018, he grew dissatisfied with his job and came to a depot job fair looking for a better opportunity. He then started his career with Team Tobyhanna as a sheet metal mechanic in the Mission Execution Directorate – and he’s never looked back.

“Taking the job here at Tobyhanna was a transformative experience,” he said. “It is a great place to work, I no longer have significant stress, and the conditions are pristine,” adding that the depot’s mission supporting warfighter readiness is a bonus.

“It is easy to come to work when you know your purpose. Working to better our country gives my job meaning.”

Today, Haduck leverages the full scope of his education and work experience to support sheet metal fabrication needs for countless depot missions.

“My degree gave me a foundation, but my experience over the years is what has made me successful,” citing a complex project mounting a hydraulic winch that he says taught him a lot about his craft.

Another benefit of working at Tobyhanna is the opportunity to further expand his skillset, according to Haduck.

“I have learned so much from my colleagues and from working with the new technology here at the depot,” he said. “I am very content.”

A resident of Pittston, Haduck enjoys using his metalworking talents outside of the regular workday. Beyond all things metal, he loves exploring the great outdoors with his wife and daughter – and he never runs out of recommendations for a great Northeastern Pennsylvania pizza spot.