SPRINGDALE -- Daniel Huntsman, 2018 Gravette graduate, celebrated his appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, along with his parents, Bryan and Carolyn Huntsman, with a special sendoff on Saturday.
The family and other service academy appointees gathered for a reception hosted by Congressman Steve Womack Saturday at Har-Ber High School cafeteria in Springdale. Womack offered a prayer on behalf of each appointee and family represented.
"Father, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the people that you have tapped on the shoulder and figuratively have said, 'We need you to serve,'" Womack prayed. "We are taught in the Scripture in the Book of Isaiah (Chapter 6, verse 8), you said, 'Whom shall I send?' These young men and women have said, 'Here am I. Send me.'"
Huntsman has anticipated an Air Force career following a path taken by his father, who spent 23 years on active duty in the Air Force as a pilot, after undertaking reserve officers training (ROTC) at the University of Arkansas. The elder Huntsman flew C-17 and C-141 airplanes.
"I'm really excited; this is something I've looked forward to since middle school," Huntsman said.
Huntsman accompanied his father and sister on a trip to Colorado Springs when his sister was looking at different colleges.
"Even though she didn't like it, I fell in love with the place," Huntsman said. "I'm super excited to begin this next chapter of my life and hopefully become an Air Force pilot. That's the plan. It's neat to follow in his footsteps a little bit, but also to kind of blaze my own trail by going to the Air Force Academy. I'm just very, very excited to begin this new journey."
Huntsman grew up as an "Air Force brat," experiencing nine moves growing up as the family relocated when Dad's duty station changed. He transferred to Gravette from a high school in Illinois. Huntsman had never played football before, but it didn't take long before Gravette head football coach Bill Harrelson and longtime assistant Duke Mobley, who recently retired, persuaded him to come out. Huntsman played wide receiver and defensive back for the Lion football team.
"Coach Harrelson and Coach Mobley, they taught me a lot about getting up after you've been knocked down and pressing forward, moving on," Huntsman said. "It was a foreign environment, they took me in and they mentored me. They just taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader and what it means to face struggles and to face adversity and to just power through."
Through playing football, Huntsman learned about camaraderie and developing a brotherhood. He appreciates the bonds that came through playing the game.
"Every one of the guys I played with I love and we just had a blast playing football," Huntsman said. "We came together as a team through our wins and our losses and injuries, persevered, and it was just a great environment."
Huntsman also ran track for the Lions, competing as a sprinter in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter events. He liked the close-knit community and small-town atmosphere at Gravette.
"You got to know people on a more personal level," Huntsman said. "There was an opportunity. You could do whatever you want. You decided you wanted to try something new, you could. I decided this year I wanted to do Quiz Bowl. I'd never done it before and I got the chance to be on the team and help them. We ended up going to the state tournament where we were eliminated by Pocahontas, but it was a lot of fun. I loved that tight-knit feeling."
Huntsman appreciated the sendoff.
"It means a lot just because you get to see the other cadets from this area. You get to coordinate with them, and it kind of builds you to a support web already at the academy because even though we probably won't be in the same squads or anything like that, when we do see each other it'll be, 'Hey, I know that guy.' We share a common bond of coming from northwest Arkansas and having a lot of the same life experiences, and it does mean a lot."
Huntsman said the sendoff not only was significant for him personally, but also for his parents.
"My principal (Gravette High School principal Jay Chalk) put this into perspective at graduation. It's not for us," Huntsman said. "Graduation and things, they're for the parents. Not only does it show that we have accomplished so much, but we would not be here without our parents, and it also is a place to kind of recognize them. So, I think it's really cool that they get recognized."
Sports on 06/06/2018