Chance Baumann splices fiber with the same steady hands that recently won him ‘Top Marksman’ at the Army's 54th Wilson Sniper National Championship. Seven years in the National Guard has honed his precision and patience — traits well-suited to the world of fiber-optic splicing.
That specialized skill didn’t always seem like it would carry into a civilian career. In 2017, Baumann would have never imagined himself a broadband technician, let alone a nationally ranked sharpshooter.
Graduating with a degree in exercise science, he went straight into the workforce for a year — but ultimately found himself feeling unfulfilled. “One day [I] just decided to join the National Guard, thought it might fulfill that empty feeling that I wasn't giving my all,” he said to us in an interview. “It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It filled that void.
From schooling to travel, the National Guard expanded the scope of Baumann’s life “outside of everyday civilian life,” and ultimately led to him discovering broadband.
For two years, he worked as a strength and condition coach. “I loved it, don't get me wrong, but I kind of found out that my escape from everyday work life was going to the gym and working out, and I was spending so much time at the gym all day,” he recalled.
So, with no experience in the industry, Baumann jumped into fiber optics.
Currently, Baumann works at Kinetic as a construction technician, primarily focused on splicing fiber — still able to stay physical in his work while getting to problem solve outdoors.
He acknowledged learning the nit-picky ropes (or cables) of fiber splicing “can be frustrating at first, but once you pick up on it, it gets easier and easier.” He loves the work and sees himself in it for the long haul.
“I think this is a great job for a career, for in the long run,” he said. “People are always going to need internet. It might always be advancing, but we're always going to need splicers. So, if you pick up on it now, you know, 50 years down the road, you could still be working for the same company and love your job... I've loved every minute of it.”
Steady hands, strong bonds
By design, the National Guard often creates a structure that sticks — where discipline and solidarity go hand in hand. For Baumann, that mindset carried over into broadband work, where attention to detail keeps things tidy for the next person.
“When you're dealing with fiber strands, it can get kind of messy,” he described. “They're really tiny strands, so trying to make your terminals or your cases where you're splicing look nice and neat” is a skill well-suited for the hands of a marksman. “That way, the next guy that maybe has to get back in there doesn't have to work hard to fix a problem.”
And camaraderie is a key quality Baumann has found in both the National Guard and broadband.
Currently, he is a part of a five-splicer skeleton crew for all of Windstream’s coverage of Nebraska. It’s a “well-knit” group — and that goes a long way when he leaves for military events.
"One half of my life is working outside, figuring out problems, splicing fiber, and then, you know, every so often I get to go do military things on the side,” he explained. His crew does “a great job of picking up the slack. covering what I would have done if I was here. They're really cool about it.”
Not only do they support him with work while he travels on military leave, but they’re interested in what he’s been up to while away — such as, say, winning a national award as a sharpshooter.
Baumann will compete in the International Department of Defense Sniper Competition in April in Georgia.
“We didn't expect to win the Winston. P. It was awesome that we did, [but] I really didn't even expect to get recognition from Kinetic, you know. I really feel blessed that they were reaching out to me and like, ‘Hey, this is a big deal.’ I really appreciate all that they've done.”
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