Since 1973, the Vermont National Guard has maintained a dedicated biathlon program at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, one of the oldest Biathlon facilities in the United States.
Soldiers named to the U.S. National Biathlon Team are placed on year-round full-time orders. Most of the training is conducted locally at the Ethan Allen Firing Range where biathletes reside in an athlete's barracks complete with a specialized exercise area configured for biathlon training.
Biathlon training involves cross-country skiing between rifle ranges. Participants engage targets at 50 meters at each range. The exercises help Soldiers to shoot accurately after moving quickly across snow-covered terrain.
The Vermont National Guard's Biathlon program has grown steadily from its establishment in 1973 by Maj. Gen. Reginald Cram, the state adjutant general at the time. Vermont hosted national championships from 1975-1977, with the Vermont Biathlon team winning each year. National Guard personnel helped plan for and conduct the 1980 Olympic Biathlon competition in Lake Placid, New York.
Vermont Soldiers selected for the 2022 Winter Olympics are Spcs. Sean Doherty, Leif Nordgren, and Deedra Irwin. Spc. Vaclav Cervenka was selected as men's alternate. Vermont has sent more than a dozen Guardsmen to Olympic Biathlon teams since 1992. Join the Vermont National Guard and you could possibly train to become the next Olympic Biathlon champion.