Lifestyle

Operation Float A Soldier of Canyon Lake Salutes Wounded Warriors

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

Wes Garnett, Seth Warnick, and a host of other Canyon Lake volunteers who make up the organization Operation Float A Soldier salute Wounded Warriors with outdoor activities designed to encourage outdoor recreation as a therapeutic outlet.  These activities include fishing trips on a specially outfitted pontoon boat and deer hunts.

“I do it for the smiles.” – Wes Garnett

Operation Float A Soldier Group Photo

Photo: Facebook/Operation Float a Soldier (OFAS) 

A former military contractor in Kuwait, Wes saw firsthand what many veterans experienced while deployed overseas. After he came home, he knew he wanted to help wounded warriors. He made his pontoon boat wheelchair accessible and contacted a local veterans’ hospital to offer patients a chance to get out on the water, a chance to escape their injuries even if just for a little while.

From this generous gesture and Wes’s genuine love for people, Operation Float A Soldier was born. Wes says, “I do it for the smiles. That is my payment.”

Operation Float A Soldier

Operation Float A Soldier Logo

Photo: Facebook/Operation Float a Soldier (OFAS) 

Eleven years after that first boating trip, Wes and his co-founder, Seth Warnick, have grown Operation Float A Soldier into a very real ministry in Canyon Lake, Texas. They have helped hundreds of wounded warriors and their families. Operation Float A Soldier has also become a large part of the Comal County community. Local groups and community members open their hearts, volunteering time and donations to make these events memorable for everyone involved.

Upcoming Events

Texas Hill Country Whitetail

Photo: Glenda Thompson

Upcoming events include two new Wounded Warrior Hunting Weekends. These hunts are headquartered out of the Joint Base San Antonio Recreation Park at Canyon Lake.

The first hunt will be held the weekend of November 18th through the 20th and the second will be December 9th through the 11th. Hunters will need a valid Texas hunting license. Spaces fill up quickly so if you are interested or know someone interested in participating in a hunt, please contact Dee Dee as soon as possible at [email protected].

Interested in Helping?

White Tail Trophy Buck

Photo: Glenda Thompson

Wes also said, “We are a 100% volunteer group and rely upon generous benefactors for funding. We always need funds to continue our ministry. All of our operations are done out of our homes, we don’t have an official office. This helps us keep our funds in check.”  Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donation can contact Wes at [email protected] or his co-founder, Seth, at [email protected].

For More Information

Hill Country 10 point Whitetail Buck

Photo: Glenda Thompson

You can visit the OFAS Facebook page for more information and photographs or follow them on Twitter.