MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - Sgt. Bradley Hoover takes personal responsibility for each Marine he is charged with leading. He knows they are the future of his craft, and each one is a direct reflection of himself.
Hoover, a fixed-wing aircraft power plant mechanics instructor with the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, guides new Marines through a three-month training period, which includes daily physical training and Marine Corps Martial Arts courses.
Hoover said the job gives him a high level of personal satisfaction sending highly-trained Marines to the fleet.
“One thing I want these Marines to remember is to never stop excelling and to try their best at everything they do,” he said. “I want these students to absorb this knowledge.”
He said it is imperative to break Marines out of their metaphoric shells and communicate between each other to sustain a productive workflow in the engine technician job field.
“I want to get them to speak out loud and think out loud and get them to work together,” said Hoover. “The more they learn here, the less they have to learn in the fleet.”
Hoover also acts as liaison between Habitat for Humanity and the CNATT students, giving them a chance to volunteer weekends for community projects.