Operation Waypoint

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Photo by: Rushton Gregory Communications

(St. Augusta, Minn.) Operation Waypoint, a Minnesota-based, non-profit program administered by the St. Augusta American Legion Women’s Auxiliary Post 621, announced today the broadening of its program from a state and regional focus to national in scope with its new website, gpsfortroops.org.

Fully run by dedicated volunteers, the program is committed to increasing the safety of military men and women deploying to the Middle East with the guidance of highly accurate, handheld GPS units and mapping cards for Iraq and Afghanistan. Since its inception, Operation Waypoint has relied heavily on its partnership with Lowrance, a leading GPS navigation systems brand, to provide GPS products and charts to soldiers preparing to serve, as well as generous donations from service and social organizations, and numerous individuals to fund the effort. The redesigned Operation Waypoint website will build awareness for the organization’s work, making it easier for visitors to donate and encourage other organizations to become partners in the project to provide GPS devices for soldiers in their own communities.

Operation Waypoint was started in 2005 by retired educator Ed Meyer after a former student, preparing for deployment to Iraq, contacted him to ask what type of GPS unit would be best for his mission. As the military only provides one GPS device per unit, which is usually mounted in a vehicle, Meyer contacted a friend at Lowrance, requested three GPS handheld devices, and trained the company commander and two former students how to use them. Shortly after the soldiers arrived in Iraq, while traveling at night, their 24-vehicle convoy took a wrong turn into a very dangerous Baghdad neighborhood following the lead truck’s Army-issued GPS unit. Realizing the mistake, the convoy commander called Sgt. Gaylen Heacock, one of the soldiers equipped with a Lowrance GPS supplied by Meyer. Heacock’s device determined the correct route and was able to guide the convoy to safety. Upon hearing of how the Lowrance units aided in safety, Meyer worked through the American Legion Auxiliary and Post 621 to broaden the idea into a full not-for-profit program.