Football player joins Army in school ceremony
Appomattox County High School senior Tanner Gunter is shown with, from left, Appomattox Raiders Athletic Trainer Amelia Martin, Football Head Coach Doug Smith and Football Assistant Coach Stephen Castello at a signing ceremony Dec. 15 at the high school. Gunter decided to join the Army instead of a college football team. Contributed

Dec. 15 was the Early Period National Signing Day for NCAA Division I football, but for one member of the Appomattox Raiders football team, it was signing day in a different walk of life.

Appomattox County High School senior Tanner Gunter signed a letter of commitment and performed his Oath of Enlistment to join the United States Army. The oath was administered by Lynchburg Army Recruiting Company Commander Kaitlin Harrison.

Gunter will not be playing college football at the Army. Instead, he will be trained as a striker system maintainer — performing mechanical work on armored tank vehicles.

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