Soldiers receive a safety and mission brief before participating in a cross-country skiing training event at Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, Vt., Feb. 6, 2016. The soldiers, assigned to the Vermont National Guard’s Company A, 172nd Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Mountain, took part in a combination of skiing and live-fire exercises, testing not only their abilities to ski and shoot, but also their ability to shoot under stress with unfamiliar weapons. Vermont Army National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Sarah Mattison