Mac Hunt was born on February 22, 1947, in Gastonia, North Carolina. He was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in February 1970, and went through Externship in San Diego, California, and Jacksonville, Florida, and then his Internship at the Naval Hospital in San Diego from July 1973 to June 1974. After completing his Residency in Anesthesiology in San Diego, LT Hunt served as Staff Anesthesiologist at the Naval Regional Medical Center at Portsmouth, Virginia, from September 1976 to June 1981. CDR Hunt then entered the Naval Reserve, going back on active duty beginning August 31, 1990. He again served as Staff Anesthesiologist at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth from August 1990 to October 1993, deploying to Saudi Arabia as Senior Anesthesiologist with 2nd Medical Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from December 1990 to April 1991. His next assignment was as Team Anesthesiologist with Fleet Surgical Team SIX at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia, from October 1993 to November 1995, during which time he deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA-4) in support of Operation Support Democracy in Haiti from October to December 1993, deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Guam (LPH-9) from February to April 1994, and deployed aboard USS Guam from May to November 1994. CDR Hunt's final assignment was as Staff Anesthesiologist and Assistant Department Chief at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, from November 1995 until his retirement from the Navy on July 1, 1998.

His Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Citation reads:

For meritorious service while serving as officer in charge, Fleet Surgical Team SIX from October 1993 to October 1995. Commander Hunt consistently performed his demanding duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner. He ably and completely demonstrated leadership skills in the highly volatile and challenging arena of operational medicine by forging and managing over one hundred medical personnel into a premier medical force during Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group (MARG) 2-94. As Commander, Amphibious Task Force Surgeon, Commander Hunt Developed guidelines for anesthetic procedures, gathered medical intelligence for deploying MARGS, and assisted in preparing ships for medical readiness inspections. He voluntarily guided an inexperienced Mobile Medical Augmentation Readiness Team through workup exercises which directly impacted on MARG 3-95 Medical Readiness. Commander Hunt's distinctive accomplishments, unrelenting perseverance, and steadfast devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.