Thomas Perkins is a retired U.S. Navy Master Diver who built his career in some of the most unforgiving environments on earth, from combat zones in the Arabian Gulf and Iraq to high-risk salvage operations and the crushing depths of the deep sea. Decorated with the Bronze Star for calm, decisive leadership under fire, he later helped lead operations that successfully placed a diver at 2,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, a milestone few in the world have achieved.

Thomas’s life has been defined by a single conviction: courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act with purpose in spite of it. That philosophy didn’t retire when he did. Today, he consults, travels, sails, and dives, and shares what military service, fatherhood, and hard-earned experience have taught him about resilience, calculated risk, and living fully. He is especially passionate about helping others, including members of the disabled community, discover that adventure, purpose, and a meaningful life remain within reach.

His qualifications speak to a career of relentless pursuit. In addition to his designation as Master Diver, Thomas served as Officer of the Deck Underway, Engineering Officer of the Watch, and Salvage Construction Demolition Diver, among many other certifications earned during his naval service. He holds an undergraduate degree in business and a Master of Business Administration, is an instrument-rated private pilot, and holds a 200-Ton Master’s License for operating vessels at sea. His memoir, A Life Not Worth Living, is a testament to the preparation and repetition that made everything else possible.

That same drive carried him into the corporate world, where Thomas has served as Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Construction, Vice President of Engineering, Program Manager, Plant Manager, Senior Director of Operations, Business Unit Engineer, and Maintenance Manager. He is currently President of Lentic LLC, a consultancy based in Visalia, California.