Amelia Now Article

WARRIOR VACATIONS

The recent economic times have resulted in many of Amelia Island’s condominiums and resort properties going empty for weeks or months at a time. Robert Peters is one of those condo owners – and he thought of a way to turn those empty properties into a wonderful gift for America’s military personnel.

Peters felt guilty that he gets to enjoy life on this beautiful island while America’s armed forces risk their lives on the other side of the world. That’s when the idea came to him: Warrior Vacations. Why not loan out unoccupied vacation properties to active military and their families? So now, Peters is asking condo owners to donate their property for one or two weeks.

Major Geoff Fuller and his family enjoyed an Amelia Island vacation in April.

“The military and their families have shouldered the burden for all of us,” Peters said. Returning from combat, providing a little R&R, is the least that can be done.

The application process for soldiers is fairly simple. Military personnel can fill out a form at www.warriorvacations.org and wait to be paired with a condo owner. Peters said soldiers must be active duty, in good standing, be married and have been deployed within the last year.

The program is open to all military personnel but is focused on Fort Stewart, NAS Jax, NAS Mayport, Florida National Guard and Florida Reservists. The ultimate goal is for Warrior Vacations to go nationwide.

This past April, Major Geoff Fuller and his family became the first recipients of a Warrior Vacations stay on Amelia Island.

Amelia Island Plantation, together with many of its private owners, will be participating in the program. “We have made a commitment to Warrior Vacations by offering our all-oceanfront Amelia Inn and including our owners, as well,” according to Tim Seyda, vice president and general manager of the resort. “Even when our owners’ units are involved, we will pay for the housekeeping and resort fees so that our military can enjoy themselves to the fullest.”

Melissa Burleson, volunteer; Jody & Robert Peters, founder of Warrior Vacations; the Fuller family – Maj. Geoff, Kerry, Madison, Davis, and Jackson; Greg Supianoski, McArthur Family YMCA; Angel Sizemore, The Journey Church/Authentic Impact; Alison Douglas, Subway.

Other major sponsors of Warrior Vacations include Amelia Rentals and Management, whose owner Trent Maddox has been instrumental in getting Warrior Vacations of the ground, and the McArthur Family YMCA.

Warrior Vacations is a ministry of Authentic Impact, Inc., and the Journey Church. If you would like to donate time in your condo to this program please visit warriorvacations.org or call (904) 206-0710.

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2010 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE

Warrior Vacations

One local man’s desire to help military families spawned a new program to provide free vacation rentals to families who serve our country.

BY JAN DAVIS, PHOTO BY WILLIAM RASER

Imagine what it must be like for a military family torn apart when a member of the household is sent into the ravages of war, deployed to distant lands such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Often the deployment stretches for months and months, and the spouse left behind must deal with the daily stress of coping with children, managing the household, and, of course, worrying about their loved one. As USA Today reported on August 11, 2009, such families are “learning to live separate lives—and it is becoming more difficult with each deployment to get back together.” In the midst of such stress, one thing military families really need is a very special vacation together when Dad (or Mom) is back home.

Local attorney Robert Peters says he was looking for a way to “give back to those military families who have sacrificed so much for us.” He started a new program called Warrior Vacations, which provides free vacation rentals for soldiers returning from deployment and their families. Peters grew up in Fernandina Beach and is now a successful attorney with offices both here and in Jacksonville. He owns a second home, a condo on the beach that he uses for both family fun and a rental investment. Realizing that almost 50 percent of the year the condo sits vacant, he thought: “Why not offer it to an active military family free of charge to enjoy a week’s or week-end vacation during those non-rented times?” He talked to other friends with similar rental properties and found that many were delighted to share their properties in the same way.

But how could he connect with an appropriate military family? He zeroed in on Fort Stewart. Only two hours away, near Savannah, it is a military base with a large number of military who have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. After various calls trying to find the right avenue to set up such a program, he finally learned about an on-base travel forum. Soon Peters and his wife Jody went to Fort Stewart and set up a booth to advertise this new concept. After various postings, the program took off. Warrior Vacations has now expanded to include the National Guard in St. Augustine, which is mobilizing to send 5,000 troops to Afghanistan. “The goal for Warrior Vacations is to place fifty families in free rentals by the end of the year,” says Peters.

As Peters began to spread the word of the new non-profit organization, Amelia Island Plantation and Trent Maddox of Amelia Rental & Management Services became partners in the venture, recruiting short-term rentals for the program. The YMCA and Laurie Porter of Compoz Design are also valued supporters. Jody Peters started to prepare gift baskets for the families, filling them with free merchant coupons, including everything from fishing trips to putt-putt tickets, plus beach towels and sunscreen. Steve Coe is responsible for collecting two-for-one merchant coupons, and they are hoping to find someone to donate coolers with the Warrior Vacation logo on them to use as baskets for the gifts.

Daughter Tori Peters, a Fernandina Beach High School freshman, has taken on the job of distributing thank-you notes to the homeowners, along with pictures of the families who have vacationed here. First Sgt. David Stone, his wife Bess, and their two children vacationed here recently. “We were just awestruck that people would share their beautiful property with us in this way,” says First Sgt. Stone. “It was way beyond our expectation and such a reassuring experience to realize that the American people really do care.”

For information on donations of rentals or merchandise, call (904) 206-1578, email warriorvacations@gmail.com, or go to www.warriorvacations.org.

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San Marco Register, May 2009

Military service, combat no vacation

San Marco attorney, former Air Force analyst gives back with vacation giveaways for military families
by Stephen Kindland

Note from Bob Buehn, new division chief of military affairs veterans and disabled services, City of Jacksonville: “The Veterans in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida are important not only because they represent one of the largest concentrations of Veterans in the country, but because of the sacrifices they all have made to keep the foundation of our country strong and free. The same is true for the military community here, representing all of the services and including civilian employees, contractors and, especially, the families. Simply said, these folks are patriots. I am humbled and proud to represent the City of Jacksonville in the Division of Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services.”

It’s been 25 year since Robert Peters left the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence analyst, but the San Marco attorney hasn’t lost one iota of appreciation for those who serve in today’s military.

Peters might not know firsthand what it’s like to come home after a tour of combat duty in the Middle East, but just from reading statistics he knows the affect it can have on marriage and families. He also believes the federal government – and American society in general – have not done enough to support U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the globe.

Most of all, he knows how important it is to all veterans that they be remembered, recognized and even rewarded for defending the freedom enjoyed by every American citizen.

“We at home have sacrificed zero,” said Peters, wo began serving a three-year stint in the Air Force at age 17. “These men and women [in Iraq and Afghanistan] have sacrificed immensely. Imagine being over there and it’s 110 degrees outside and you’re away from your family for a year.”

Peters says he feels “a little guilty” about having served during peace time in Greece and San Antonio, and that’s one reason he has begun his own personal counterattack to help his fellow veterans. Since November, he has been busy establishing a non-profit program called Warrior Vacations, which offers free stays up to seven days at condos, mountain cabins and resorts on Amelia Island and in the Florida Keys, Virginia and Tennessee. Anyone who is on active duty, married and has served in Iraq or Afghanistan within the past year qualifies.

The point, Peters says, is to allow combat veterans a chance to enjoy some rest and relaxation with their families.

“What we give back is pretty pitiful compared to what they’ve given us,” he said. “I can’t pat myself on the back for this.

“Enlisted men especialy don’t have a lot of money, but it’s not really about the money, anyway,” Peters said. “We’re just telling them thank you.”

He said he is always looking for people willing to donate four to seven days at their summer homes, time shares, condo rental or any place where an active military person can stay with his or her family. More information can be found at www.warriorvacations.org.

Peters also says he feels indebted to the Air Force, which he joined after quitting school and moving in with a friend’s parents.

“I turned 19 in Greece,” said Peters, who earned his GED while serving his country. He used his GI Bill to attend Florida State University, where he received his law degree in 1993.

“I grew up, I matured and I got [life] experience,” Peters said. “It was exactly what I needed – and it’s exactly what a lot of young guys need today.”

He said despite his relatively brief military career, he will always feel a special bond with other servicemen, including two Air Force buddies with whom he stays in touch.

“I’m too old to rejoin and help out in Iraq, so [Warrior Vacations] is just a way of saying thank you,” Peters said.

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He helps military get R&R

By BRANDIS JEST, The Times-Union

Robert Peters felt guilty. Guilty that he is here while our armed forces risk their lives, worlds away. That’s when the idea came to him: Warrior Vacations.

Oases of condos line the shores of Ameila Island. Empty condos, including his. Why not loan them out to active military and their families? So, Peters is asking condo owners to donate their property for one or two weeks.

The process will be fairly simple one: Fill out a form at warriorvacations.org and wait to be paired with a condo owner. Peters said soldiers must be active duty, in good standing, be married and had been deployed within the last year. Families and owners will be matched beginning Jan. 1.

The ultimate goal is for Warrior Vacations to go nationwide. Initially, the program will be available only to Fort Stewart personnel.

“The military and their families have shouldered the burden for all of us,” Peters said. Returning from combat, providing a little R&R, is the least that can be done.

Initiated by Peters, Warrior Vacations is an outreach program for Authentic Impact Inc. For more information on Warrior Vacations, visit warriorvacations.org or call (904) 206-0710.