Outdoor activities help them form close bonds.
by SHAYLYNN MARKS
When David Hunt first walked parts of the 4,500 acres of Polk County land that the Florida Forest Service had acquired in 2009, he wasn’t sure how best to use it.
“It had a commercial citrus lease, commercial cattle lease, and some private residences on it, and it bordered Lake Kissimmee,” Hunt recalls. “Somebody said, ‘Well, let’s do something for veterans.’ And then somebody said, ‘Let’s do it for wounded veterans.’ And that’s how it all kind of kicked off. I just happened to be managing that property, so I’ve been involved since the beginning.”
Now, more than a decade later, Operation Outdoor Freedom is known as a statewide program that provides free, guided outdoor experiences to Florida’s wounded veterans. From scalloping trips and fishing expeditions to deer, hog, duck, and alligator hunts, the program offers veterans adventures filled with camaraderie and community.
Stories Shared by the Fire
For Hunt, who now works out of Bartow as a program coordinator for Operation Outdoor Freedom, the heart of the program surrounds those moments of making connections.
“The biggest thing is getting them what we call ‘campfire time,’ ” he said. “It’s just getting them in the woods and around the fire where they’re talking with other veterans about common problems and common solutions.”
He recalls one moment in particular from early in the program that stuck with him.
“I was surprised to hear veterans say, ‘I was injured here,’ and the other fellow would say, ‘Well, I was injured on the other side of the street in the same battle, same conflict.’ They didn’t even know each other. That was a turning point for me.”
Retired Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bobby Price of Middleburg echoes the importance of those bonds.
“Nobody understands veterans better than veterans,” he says.
“When we’re able to get together, it’s a sense of relief. We can breathe, crack jokes, and feel safe.”
Community Support and Access for All
While the Florida Forest Service provides staff and vehicles, Hunt emphasizes that the program is largely community driven.
“None of the forestry monies go directly to the event,” he explained. “Our whole program is community-based, so the more we interact with the community, wherever it’s at in the state, that’s the success of our program.”
Price noted that participating comes with so many benefits.
“It’s at no cost to the veterans. You just need your license, and sometimes the lodging is paid for or provided,” he explained.
Veterans register online, apply for events, and are selected through a random computer draw.
Hunt said the demand itself shows the impact: “The biggest critique we hear is that once someone goes on one of our events, they want to go again, but the popularity means they might not get selected right away. That tells me we’re doing something right.”
Firsthand Impressions from the Field
Price’s first experience with Operation Outdoor Freedom was when a friend invited him on a duck hunt through a joint venture with the Wounded Warrior Project.
“He called me right out of the blue and said, ‘Hey man, pack your stuff, picking you up at 4 o’clock in the morning.’ We went on a duck hunt down in Florida. To say the least, I am addicted to duck hunting now,” Price says with a laugh.
He walked through what a typical weekend in the program was like.
“We sit through a safety brief, shoot skeet and trap, and then the veterans pair up. That evening, we go back to a hotel, sit down to a family-style meal, and share stories about our service. The next morning, we’re up at 3 a.m. and out on the hunt. And veterans don’t have to bring anything if they don’t want to,” he explains.
“Some guys have duck dogs. We’ve had veterans show up that didn’t even have a firearm. I mean, everything is provided if they need it.”
Price also joined a gator hunt on a private cattle ranch.
“It was a culmination of a lot of people’s hard work and effort to allow a bunch of veterans to come together,” he says. “The local sheriff’s department provided lodging, the landowner volunteered his property, and volunteers fed us and guided us. They didn’t have to do that, but they were more than willing.”
Keeping the Campfires Burning
Sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the program continues to thrive thanks to the commitment of local coordinators and community partners.
“We’re doing about 500 veterans per year on about 75 events across the state,” Hunt notes. “That’s a lot.”
He also points out that the program has grown because of ordinary citizens stepping up.
“People call us all the time asking how they can donate, volunteer, or host. That’s what keeps us moving forward.”
For veterans considering signing up, Price’s advice is simple: “Definitely sign up and give it a try. We’ve had veterans out there that have never done any outdoor events, and they’ve come and had an absolute ball.”
As Hunt reflected, the greatest gift Operation Outdoor Freedom gives may be the simplest: a place by the fire, surrounded by people who understand.
How to Sign Up
Operation Outdoor Freedom is led by the Florida Forest Service and sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Since 2009, the program has hosted more than 970 events and served more than 6,800 wounded veterans across Florida. Eligible veterans can apply online for upcoming hunts and fishing trips at fdacs.gov/OperationOutdoorFreedom. Participants are selected through a random draw and notified by email. Events are held at no cost, with facilities designed to accommodate the needs of every wounded veteran.