Stop battling anxiety and battle fish for the day!

AJ grew up dirt poor and wanted a better life, so he joined the U.S. Army with his brother. He served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Airborne Infantry) as a paratrooper. AJ was injured in Afghanistan after being hit with a pallet of 155mm rounds of high explosive shells. His unit was featured in the famous movie Restrepo. He finished his deployment but was medically discharged from the Army.

After leaving the Army, AJ was totally lost until he and his wife visited the charming town of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in upstate NY. While there, they visited Paul Smith’s College and immediately decided, “This is our life. We need to move. We need to start something new.” AJ earned his B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management and found his purpose. During this time, Homes on the Homefront gave them a free home because of his military service, with the challenge that AJ do something to improve his community. He took that challenge to heart and founded Battle Fish Charters.

The Battle Fish mission is to help everybody (especially veterans and their families) find peace through fishing. By providing the best equipment and highly educated guides, “we are serious about maximizing your adventures.” It is more than a fishing adventure. AJ calls it recreational therapy. Every day, AJ fishes the local lakes, streams, and hard water to help find the most memorable adventures. He is a World-Class fishing adventure guide and fishing rod builder.

This episode is also a Caregiver story. AJ’s wife Nicole was in a Military Spouse Caregiver role when AJ was injured in combat. And more recently as a Veteran Caregive, when she helped AJ through recovery and rehabilitation from two different strokes. Nicole, with the help of local veterans, kept Battle Fish Charters going, despite all odds. AJ is doing well and back on the water helping others stop battling anxiety by battling fish for a day!