An official website of the United States government         Here's how you know         
**Official websites use .mil**
A **.mil** website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
**Secure .mil websites use HTTPS**
 A **lock (lock )** or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Skip to main content (Press Enter).

National GuardAlways Ready Always There

National Guard

                - 

Search

Search
Search

-  Home		 
-  News    -  Guard News         
  -  Overseas Operations         
  -  State Partnership Program         
  -  News Features         
  -  RSS Feeds         
  -  Press Releases         
  -  Transcripts 
-  Features    -  Features by Year         
  -  Posture Statement         
  -  State Partnership Program         
  -  Special Features 
-  About the Guard    -  How We Began         
  -  Air National Guard         
  -  Army National Guard      -  DEERS Soldier Journey         
    -  Leader Development Program 
  -  History and Heritage         
  -  I am the Guard         
  -  NGB Official March 
-  Leadership    -  CNGB         
  -  VCNGB         
  -  SEA         
  -  DANG         
  -  DARNG         
  -  Joint Staff      -  J-1         
    -  J-2         
    -  J-3         
    -  J-4         
    -  J-5         
    -  J-6         
    -  J-7         
    -  J-8         
    -  Personal Staff        -  Inspector General         
      -  General Counsel         
      -  Public Affairs         
      -  Executive Support Services         
      -  Legislative Liaison 
    -  Special Staff        -  National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel         
      -  Office of the Provost Marshal         
      -  Office of the Joint Surgeon         
      -  Director of Acquisitions         
      -  Small Business Programs         
      -  Chaplain         
      -  Senior Leader Management Office         
      -  Diversity Equity Inclusion 
    -  Comptroller 
-  Resources    -  National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance         
  -  Community Engagement         
  -  FOIA         
  -  Fact Sheets         
  -  Helpful Links         
  -  Image Gallery      -  News Images         
    -  Graphics         
    -  Historical Paintings 
  -  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion         
  -  Legislative Liaison         
  -  Small Business Programs         
  -  Social Media         
  -  State Websites         
  -  Videos      -  Featured Videos         
    -  On Every Front         
    -  2019 Videos         
    -  2020 Videos         
    -  2021 Videos 
  -  Suicide Prevention         
  -  Family Programs         
  -  Environmental         
  -  Trial Defense Service         
  -  Holistic Wellness Challenge 
-  Contact Us		 

Home : News : News Features

PHOTO INFORMATION

** Download

** Details

** Share

# He joined for the benefits and is now an Olympic hopeful

By Tech. Sgt. Charles Johnston,New Hampshire National Guard

CONCORD, N.H. – As a blistering spring heat wave rolls through the region, 90-degree heat and humidity are expected throughout the week. So what better time to prepare for the upcoming ski season. Well, at least for one New Hampshire Army National Guardsman.

Spc. Thomas Echelberger of the 195th Regional Training Institute is a biathlete for the NHNG and Olympic hopeful. He’s in Jericho, Vermont, for a two-week biathlon training course. The invitation-only program trains top Nordic athletes for a chance to represent the United States in the Olympics and other international competitions. His All-Guard training commitment is scheduled for two weeks a month until biathlon season starts in the fall.

“What’s so impressive is the fact he was selected for the All-Guard Development Team after only one season competing in the sport of biathlon,” said Maj. Robert Burnham, officer in charge of the NHNG team. “This is an incredible opportunity for Tom and the NH National Guard.”

The biathlon is a sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship. Athletes race 10-20 kilometers through a series of trails and target ranges, ever mindful of breathing and heart rate for more steady and accurate shooting. While still somewhat obscure in the United States, the sport is wildly popular in Europe.

Though a biathlon newbie, the 26-year-old Echelberger has been an avid skier since he was a kid. He once held a top-10 NH rating on Hopkinton High School’s cross-country squad and competed on the University of Vermont’s club team.

Echelberger’s former high school coach, Rob Nadeau, credits his success to a disciplined mental approach.

“Nordic skiing is something that you have to be able to do the basic things really well over and over again,” Nadeau said. “Tommy fundamentally understands that the sport itself comes down to being able to perfect certain things and being able to focus on that.”

The slender Soldier is still learning the basics, like skiing with a long gun slung across his back. But his basic military proficiency with an M4 carbine carries over nicely to the sport’s .22 rifle and shooting silver dollar-sized targets 50 meters away.

“I think the coolest thing about biathlon is that it’s a competitive endurance sport," Echelberger said. "But you have to maintain your heart rate and shift your focus completely from moving yourself forward to getting rounds downrange accurately.”

He enlisted in the Guard a year and a half ago to help with student loans, for the health care benefits and to achieve a greater sense of purpose through service. Biathlon is just a bonus.

“I didn’t join the Guard to be a skier,” said Echelberger, who plans to attend Army artillery fire control training. “But it’s just the coolest opportunity I could have ever envisioned.”

**                    SHARE                

**                    PRINT                

New Hampshire Army National Guard

Olympics

Biathlon