Enlisting in the Army National Guard right after high school, Tom Banks knew the military could guide him in positive directions. Tom said, “I enlisted for three reasons. First was a sense of duty to my country. Second, as a young man without a plan, I felt the need for some discipline and structure in my life. Third, I wanted to go to college and needed the assistance that the military provided.”

As a squad leader in an infantry unit, Tom was responsible for motivating and training his team and setting expectations so they could accomplish any mission they were given. And it’s here that he bonded with those he served with. Tom said, “The best memories come from the toughest times you go through with your teammates. When people suffer together they form a bond that lasts a lifetime.”

Although he was never deployed, he lived under the motto, “Always Ready,” and was on notice with a possibility of deployment during Desert Storm. Across the 13 years he spent in the National Guard, his most difficult times were in basic training and field training. These physically demanding and emotionally exhausting experiences included many late nights, no sleep, and cold weather. He said, “The toughest thing I remember was the hazardous gas training and nuclear biological training, where I had to remove my gas mask in the middle of a room filled with tear gas.”

These days Tom seeks out much more enjoyable activities such as boating. He and his wife Pam have two children and three grandchildren, and they all love to spend time on Lake Shafer near where they live at Monticello, Ind.

“One thing that brings our family together is boating. My kids grew up boating and my grandkids love it, too.”

And their boat of choice is a SportToon from JC TriToon Marine. After Tom earned a degree in dental lab technology, he owned a dental lab for eight years, and now works for a wholesale business as a regional manager selling dental equipment. This sales experience gave him a unique perspective when choosing a pontoon. Most people tour the sales lot and dealership, but Tom went a step further and toured JC’s factory to see how things were built.

Choosing a dealership was an easy decision, though, because Tom’s son works as a salesman at Tall Timbers Marina in Monticello and Tom was happy to work with them. He said, “I purchased my SportToon because it is a quality boat. I’m in sales and fortunate to work for a company who is known for quality. I understand it’s not the purchase price, but the cost to own that is most important. I especially like the U-shaped ‘toons and the way they attach to the hull. It creates a very rigid boat that takes waves without twist or flex. That’s why we decided to go with a JC.”

Active in his local Amvets organization, Tom often joins up with his old Army buddies for a day on the lake. Tom said, “My friend Ted who I met in the Army nearly 25 years ago is actually a JC owner, too! We spend a lot of time on the lake with our families together in our JC ‘toons. As a bunch of like-minded people, we love to have fun on the water.”

While Tom likes to mostly cruise slowly and listen to music with his family and friends, he will sometimes engage in a little friendly competition. He said, “I used to wakeboard when I was younger, so I love to occasionally race a wakeboard boat just to show them that I’m not driving their grandpa’s pontoon.”