Without a military background myself, you could say I’m quite the softie. Which means I probably haven’t instilled in them as much discipline as I should have. But recently I came across a solution far better than sending them to a sketchy summer camp or a dreary English boarding school.

“My dad always encouraged me, but he never pushed,” said John, who is a West Point graduate, a decorated Vietnam veteran, and served in the Army for 24 years. His father, LTC (Ret) George Hedley, also served for 24 years in the Army, which influenced him and his decision to serve in the Armed Forces.

With a mind wired to understand the complexities of electronics and mechanics, Jeff is a perfect fit for his duties as an Avionics Technician in the Arizona Air National Guard. He’s spent the last 16 years in service to his country, serving for eight years in active duty and another eight in the Air National Guard. 

His career included working as an intelligence analyst who led and trained the enlisted soldiers in his field as well as being an adviser to the commander.

GA-ASI is a military contractor and subsidiary of General Atomics that designs and manufactures unmanned aerial vehicles and radar systems for the U.S. military and commercial applications worldwide.

The single flip lounge layout provides plenty of room for his wife Dianelly and their two children as boating has become a big part of their lives, similar to how John was raised.

During his residency, Jim and his wife Jennifer began their family and were looking for extra income. It helped that both of Jim’s parents had served in the Air Force; his mother was a lieutenant and his father spent three decades in the Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel.

Bluegills, redears, pumpkinseeds, warmouth, shellcrackers and their panfish-sized ilk remain active, accessible biters that many summer anglers use as a “Plan B” when fishing with beginners or as “backup” targets for fishermen who cut their angling eyeteeth fooling the feisty fish but moved on to larger game once they figured they had mastered the hook and line sport. The panfish are often considered “patsies” by anglers who know how easy sunfish are to catch in the spring, and how small their relative size can be compared to bass, walleye, trout and even their crappie cousins. Few fishermen direct their attention toward catching bluegills and other sunfish, especially in the summer months when even these panfish can present a challenge, especially the larger specimens.