Photo By Staff Sgt. William Cowley | Staff Sgt. Kristin Milford, Pennsylvania National Guard, prepares her firearm for the...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard biathlon team participated in the 50th anniversary of the Chief National Guard Bureau Biathlon Championship recently in Utah.
More than 200 National Guard members from 24 states competed in the championship, which was held Feb. 17–21 at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah.
Biathlon races combine cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, where competitors must demonstrate competence with marksmanship and endurance while skiing. The rifle is carried on the athlete’s back while skiing.
The CNGB championship consisted of individual races, team races, a relay and a four-person patrol.
Pennsylvania’s team consisted of: Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Hanks, Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mauger, Sgt. 1st Class Kristin Milford, Staff Sgt. Brian Muchow, Staff Sgt. Scott Shaffer, Sgt. James Hutchinson and Sgt. 1st Class Jack Knouse, the team’s coach/manager.
“It is mostly an individual placing for soldiers – top 10 female, top 15 male – to be fed into the All-National Guard Team and then compete in higher level events,” Knouse said. “Overall, there is no actual state winner, although some states, like Vermont, are mostly made up of Olympic-class Soldiers.”
The Pennsylvania National Guard’s biathlon team was established about 15 years ago and competes in the CNGB Championships almost every year, Knouse said.
Knouse, who is the collective training noncommissioned officer in charge for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Collective Training Branch, has been involved in a management/coaching role for about two years.
“As a sniper and competitive marksman, myself, I enjoy it as another shooting sport – and a difficult one at that,” Knouse said.
Mauger, who is a battalion operations noncommissioned officer with the 166th Regiment Regional Training Institute at Fort Indiantown Gap, has been competing in biathlon since 2011.
“We don’t get to ski very often living in Pennsylvania, so we substitute other cardio training throughout the year,” Mauger said. “The team has recently started a summer training event at Fort Indiantown Gap to work on marksmanship and introduce new athletes to the sport.”
Mauger described the CNGB Championship in Utah as “incredible.”
“It was exceptionally well run; the Utah and Vermont biathlon staff of volunteers did a great job hosting the event,” Mauger said. “I had never been to Soldier Hollow before, and it did not disappoint. It is a challenging place to race due to the altitude of the venue and elevation changes throughout the course. But anytime you get to compete at an Olympic venue it makes for a special experience.”
Knouse said the team has several training events planned this year before the next set of regional and national events.
“Pennsylvania is close to breaking into the podium spots in team events,” he said.
Soldiers interested in joining the Pennsylvania biathlon team should contact Knouse at jack.m.knouse.mil@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2024 15:39 |
| Story ID: | 466102 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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