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The Mountain Home High School Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) hosted its 16th annual “Freedom Isn’t Free” ceremony Monday morning, welcoming Commander Michael J. Huber of the USS Arkansas, along with several of his crew members, as keynote speaker.
The ceremony, held in Dunbar Auditorium, brought together students, veterans, and crew members from the USS Arkansas (SSN 800), a Virginia-class submarine currently under construction in Newport News, Virginia.
“It is a true honor to be invited here today to celebrate our nation’s heroes for Veterans Day,” said CDR Huber, who flew from Virginia to attend the event. “The Arkansas will serve as a symbol of strength and sacrifice to every man and woman who’s ever worn our nation’s uniform.”
Huber addressed the meaning of service to the nearly 900 students in attendance.
“As a commanding officer of the future USS Arkansas, it means being a part of something far greater than yourselves,” he said. “It means dedicating my life to ensuring the safety and security of our nation. It means working every day with the most talented and driven individuals I’ve ever met.”
The submarine commander called attention to the unique challenges of underwater service.
“Submarines have been regarded as the silent service and our work is critical to maintaining our nation’s security around the globe at the far depths of every ocean,” Huber explained. “For those who serve aboard submarines, the commitment is unique… individuals who have volunteered to serve in the dark depths of the ocean who sometimes go without daylight for weeks at a time.”
The ceremony included performances by the Mountain Home High School choir singing the national anthem and the presentation of colors by NJROTC cadets. Student leaders, including Student Council President Juliana Pickers, read traditional Veterans Day passages and reflections.
Mountain Home’s NJROTC unit, which was adopted by the USS Arkansas last year as its official high school partner, will send cadets to perform color guard duties at the submarine’s christening on December 7 in Virginia.
During the ceremony, the unit received the 2024 Naval Honor School Distinguished Unit with Honors award, the highest unit award bestowed upon NJROTC programs nationwide.
“Our nation’s veterans are the links in a chain that stretch back to our country’s founding,” Huber told the audience. “These are the backs that have been burdened with ensuring the light of liberty continues to shine bright.”
Huber, a Virginia Beach native commissioned through Virginia Tech’s NROTC program in 2005, urged students to consider their own roles in preserving freedom.
“Service also means standing up for what is right, helping those in need and being an active member in your community,” he said. “You have a role to play in the continued success of our nation.”
“Freedom isn’t free,” Huber concluded. “It is a simple statement yet powerful one. Every generation must pay for it, defend it and fight for it. The cost is sometimes blood, sometimes sweat, but it is always sacrifice.”
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