ANCHORAGE, Alaska. – As Pfc. James Harmon came into the biathlon range, he slowed his cross-country skis to a halt, slid his .22 caliber rifle from his back into his hands, steadied his breath, checked his body position and took aim at black circular targets 50 meters from the firing line.
He gently squeezed his trigger, firing five shots at five targets, and then made the switch from a shooter to a skier as he strapped his ski poles around his wrists and headed back out on the ski course.
Soldiers in the Wyoming National Guard, like Harmon, are presented with a challenge when they volunteer to participate in the biathlon program. They must combine the seemingly opposite disciplines of rifle marksmanship with cross-country skiing.
“You have to combine skiing well and shooting well, that’s where races are won and lost,” Harmon said.
The Olympic sport of biathlon is relatively uncommon in the United States, but because of its winter warfare roots, the National Guard Bureau supports a robust biathlon program.
The goal is to improve the physical fitness levels and marksmanship abilities of individual soldiers, thereby increasing a unit’s combat readiness.
Soldiers on the Wyoming biathlon team can attest to the physical and mental challenges of the sport. Many describe it as running up a flight of stairs as fast as you can and then trying to thread a needle.
Currently, there are eight soldiers on the Wyoming National Guard biathlon team, six of who are new to the sport.
This winter the team raced in Anchorage, Alaska at the Western Regional competition. Held annually, the regional competition is the first step towards qualifying to compete at the Chief of the National Guard Bureau Championships.
Results from the championships determine 10 male and five female athletes who qualify for the elite USA All-Guard biathlon team. The All-Guard team represents the United States at international military and civilian biathlon competitions and is a stepping stone toward the Army World Class Athlete Program and the U.S. National biathlon team.
Wyoming has its sights set on building a program strong enough to fill the ranks of the All-Guard team. With serious and focused training, the team hopes to have three to five soldiers qualify for the team within the next several years.
Harmon is just one of the biathletes on the team who wants to eventually qualify for the All-Guard team.
“I have a good idea of where I’m at now,” he said, “My goal is to continue to make progress each season and eventually make it onto the All-Guard Team.”
But, he knows that there are hours and months of hard work ahead.
Biathletes train year round, substituting things like running, roller-skiing, swimming and cycling for skiing during the summer months.
“We try to train off-season when we can by roller-skiing, dry firing and then getting on snow to ski as much as we can during the winter,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 David Roberts, who has competed in biathlons for two years.
Despite the hard work and the challenges of the sport, both Harmon and Roberts agree on one thing, that every ounce of sweat is worth it.
“It’s the greatest sport ever,” Roberts said.
“It’s a test of strength, endurance and marksmanship,” Harmon added. “That’s what makes it fun.”
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2014 15:36 |
| Story ID: | 136050 |
| Location: | ANCHORAGE, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wyoming biathlon team takes to the snow in Alaska, by MAJ Rebecca Walsh, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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