Tobyhanna Army Depot
Corey Katsak, Tobyhanna Army Depot (SUBMITTED)
April Viola, Tobyhanna Army Depot (SUBMITTED)
Scott Kratochvil, Tobyhanna Army Depot (SUBMITTED)
The depot recently observed National Engineers Week by showcasing some of Team Tobyhanna’s finest members of the engineering community.
Electronic engineer Corey Katsak, of Effort, began his career journey at Luzerne County Community College. In 2007, while still a student, recruiters from Tobyhanna visited campus and introduced him to what was then called the Student Career Experience Program.
Although he initially pursued a degree in cybersecurity, he quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit. He switched his major to electronic engineering technology and graduated with his associate degree. Afterward, he began working in Tobyhanna’s SATCOM Strategic Systems shop. After two years in SATCOM, he decided he wanted to complete his four-year degree.
Instead of allowing him to leave, Tobyhanna worked with Katsak so that he could transition to an engineering intern role while attending Wilkes University to complete his bachelor’s degree. By 2009, he had fully transitioned into an engineering position and he’s been serving in engineering roles at Tobyhanna ever since.
Chemical engineer April Viola, of Bethlehem, plays a vital role in the depot’s mission providing superior readiness to the joint war fighter. Her interdisciplinary expertise is twofold: She provides critical support for refinishing operations like electroplating, painting and sandblasting while also ensuring the appropriate use of hazardous materials across hundreds of different missions on the installation.
Though she comes from a long line of professional engineers, the University of Pittsburgh and Northampton Community College graduate found that a career in the chemical discipline came as a surprise.
Viola’s first professional position was in the automation validation engineering field, where she wrote code for the pharmaceutical and energy industries. She found the work interesting but ultimately chose to find a role that better suited her natural talents and passion for chemistry.
Lead mechanical engineer Scott Kratochvil, of Scranton, took a keen interest in engineering from an early age and knew pursuing a career in the field was his passion.
And Kratochvil did exactly that — not every engineer can boast an interplanetary resume, but Kratochvil’s work on the Curiosity Mars rover puts him in that exclusive company. His work concentrated mainly on the rover’s heat shield for what was called the Mars Science Lab at the time. Impressively, Kratochvil did it all before graduating from Montana State University in 2010 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
After graduating, Kratochvil began a seven-year trek across the U.S. His journey started in Montana, working for Montana State University’s Space Science Engineering Lab. He then transitioned to a role with the Air Force Research Lab, based out of Boston, and then BRAC’d to Albuquerque. In November 2017, Kratochvil was ready for a new challenge and joined the esteemed ranks of Team Tobyhanna.
For the better part of a decade, Kratochvil has been a member of Tobyhanna’s engineering community working many different programs and systems in Tobyhanna’s vast portfolio.
Recognizing the excellence of Tobyhanna Army Depot’s engineering community during National Engineers Week directly aligns with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035 — specifically the Invest in Our People line of effort. The goal of Tobyhanna Army Depot’s plan is to strive to position Tobyhanna for success in the coming years as the Department of War’s premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.