Darby's Warrior Support
- searcylivingads
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Article by Jennifer Webb
Photos by Schellenbach Photography & Design
Specializing in the Waterfowl Hunting and Sporting Dog photography
Instagram: @schellenbachphotography
In January 2002, four Army Rangers came to Arkansas to hunt ducks. They had just finished the first of many combat deployments, and the hunt became an annual event. For Shawn Daniel and his friends, the weekend away was exactly what they needed. They came to hunt ducks, but they walked away refreshed, ready once again to face harsh realities of another deployment on the horizon.
“The wars and their effects are constant. It’s something that doesn't go away, so we try to help. The conversations that happen here around the fireplace or around the table are simply remarkable.”
- Dena Daniel, Wife of Col. Shawn Daniel, Executive Director of DWS
They learned a powerful truth as a result of their Arkansas rendezvous — nature heals. And Darby’s Warrior Support was
born.
The idea hatched where many great ideas hatch, around the dinner table. They devised a way to share the experience with others. The model was simple and down to earth. They would use southern hospitality in the beauty of the natural state, combined with traditions of hunting and fishing, to reach out particularly to members of the special operations community.
The warriors they hosted would only have to pay for the cost of their hunting/fishing license. They would arrive on Friday, and stay through mid-day Monday, making use of a weekend pass in an effort to not use leave days. Meals, lodging, and all required hunting gear was provided. Then, the magic would happen naturally . . . in the duck blind, around the kitchen table, or sitting by the fire.
“It’s not about the hunting. It’s about being in the duck blind and watching the sunrise together, seeing God's glory, and being with those you spent some hard days with overseas. It’s about sitting around the campfire and saying ‘Are you good?’ It’s about committing to somebody that, ‘Yes, I’m good. I’m going to be ok, and if I’m not, then I’ll call you and say I need help.’”
- Dena Daniel, Wife of Col. Shawn Daniel, Executive Director of DWS
They started small, with Shawn’s parents, Jim and Julia Ann Daniel, hosting and resourcing the hunts out of their home in Bald Knob, AR. In 2015, a local businessman made a renovated farmhouse available in Bisco, AR. As they hosted hunts, they saw healing happen again and again. They also noticed something that wasn’t happening — they were operating at a 0% suicide rate. They had not lost a single warrior who had been on a hunt.
Suicide rates among US military personnel are higher than among average US citizens, and special-operations military suicide rates are 30% higher than standard US military rates. What they were doing was working!
“It’s not just the things that they've been through as soldiers, it’s the pressure and the guilt of what they've put on their families, the pressure they’ve put on themselves. There’s also pressure when they step away from the military community. The civilian world is very different.”
- Dena Daniel, Wife of Col. Shawn Daniel, Executive Director of DWS
Colonel Shawn Daniel retired from the US Army in 2017 and assumed full-time duties as executive director in 2021. He came before the board with an ambitious plan; he wanted to take Darby’s Warrior Support to the next level. His dream was big — to build their own facility. Their dream was a massive 10-bedroom lodge with over 20 beds, 10 bathrooms, a dining area, a kitchen, and a game/rec room.
The facility would be facing a private lake stocked with game fish, and on the grounds would be a rifle range, a pistol range, and a clay/skeet shooting area. In the garage area would be individual locker areas, with all the gear, and parking room for small vehicles for easy transport.
The board approved and started a campaign to raise the money for the project in 2022. From there, God started putting all the right people in their path and the grand vision started becoming a reality. They found the perfect piece of land, with a discounted price specifically for DWS (Darby’s Warrior Support). From there, he and Nick, Director of Operations, rode around in the side-by-side, planning the facility’s layout. They measured, spray-painted, and prayed hard. Through the generosity of donors, God provided the money.
With grit, determination, hard work, and a tremendous amount of God’s blessings, they built a 9,000-square-foot facility that’s more spectacular than they ever imagined. The DWS staff is a small but committed group of former special operators who have a passion for hunting and helping others.
Personal touches are all over the lodge. “Gretsky” is the nearly record-breaking Caribou that hangs over the fireplace in the dining room. He was harvested by Shawn and Dena’s son on an Alaskan hunt when he was 8 years old. He hung in their home for years, but when they finished the lodge, they knew they had a special place for Gretsky at the Patriot Outpost.
Through their early work hosting different groups, they soon found that instead of inviting a group of random people, it worked better to select one person and let them select who to bring. This model results in instant chemistry within the group, and the weekend becomes as much of a reunion as it is a hunting trip. Each group is treated to guided hunts during hunting season and can also take advantage of fishing the stocked lake, shooting skeet, and practicing on the pistol range. Everything, including gourmet meals prepared by professionally trained chef, Heather Burns, is provided.
In the off-season they will host various unit-led events, unit reunions, and corporate retreats, making use of the facilities year-round. It’s part of their mission to reach out and help as many people as possible. In the past year they hosted 286 veterans and hope to expand that number to 800-1,000 with the addition of the new facility.
Darby’s Warrior Support continues to be in need of financial donors to continue its mission to heal our veterans. If you would like to learn more or schedule a corporate retreat, please visit them online at darbyswarriorsupport.org/ or contact Shawn Daniel at sdaneil[at]darbywarriorsupport.org or 931-220-2919.
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