Photo By Tech. Sgt. Alexis Wade | Leaders and coordinators of the cognitive warrior symposium pose for a photograph at...... read more read more
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Leaders from across the United States military and private sector came together to participate in the Cognitive Warrior symposium presented by Liminal Collective at the San Antonio Spurs facility, San Antonio, Texas, March 23-24th, 2026.
In attendance were principal cyber advisors from the Department of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Space Force, United States Cyber Command, Cyber National Mission Force, U.S. National Security Agency, Air Force Headquarters, Ohio Air National Guard, Maryland Air National Guard, eleven different civilian corporation representatives from across the United States, including CEO of the San Antonio Spurs, RC Buford.
“With San Antonio having a 300-year history within the U.S. military network, supporting service members has always been core to our city's identity,” said RC Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports and Entertainment. “We value and applaud our military and community for their bravery and commitment to service”.
This symposium was hosted by the San Antonio Spurs in coordination with Liminal Collective, a team of experienced experts focused on human performance through science-backed programs. These experts provided insight within the fields of psychology, human performance, nutrition, microbiome, neurotechnology, and longevity. Presenting cutting edge research in their respective fields and its impact on creating high performing teams, giving leaders a glimpse into what occurs during Liminal Collective’s longer, more in-depth high performance training (HPT) events that focus on implementing an Elite Performance Model (EPM).
Liminal Collective’s HPT program is an intensive, science-backed event designed to provide a transformative experience that cultivates resilience, adaptability, the ability to perform under pressure, accelerate trust, improve communication, and enhance team performance through the EPM.
Airmen from the 179th Cyberspace Wing have participated in several HPTs located in San Antonio, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, with unique location-based opportunities to further develop into a resilient, future ready force, capable of responding to evolving cyber threats with agility and precision.
“This course was really transformative, it did a great job at identifying your weaknesses, your own self awareness, and how to manage that weakness,” said Airman 1st Class Victoria Smith, Cyber Operations Software Developer at the 179th Cyberspace Wing, Mansfield, Ohio and participant of the San Antonio HPT. “They really doubled down on strengthening and supporting your team around you as well.”
Airmen participating in these HPTs engage in leadership and communication training, teaming modules, high stakes performance, and deep self-reflection to meet high-pressure demands and contribute to the current and future success of the 179th Cyberspace Wing.
“These symposiums are a chance to have our key leaders learn about what we do in HPTs, and the importance of providing their members the opportunity to attend these events,” said Maj. Amy Baab, chief of current operations of the 179th Operations support squadron at the 179th Cyberspace wing, Mansfield, Ohio. “It is important for the 179th Cyberspace Wing to be involved in HPTs because it teaches our members how to be better individually, as well as how to work together as a team.”
The symposium explored the EPM, which focuses on improving total human performance. Expanding the EPM to include cyber forces would go beyond traditional wellness programs, creating a fully integrated system designed to help cyber Airmen reach their peak performance, treating them as equally vital and as advanced as the Air Force’s most sophisticated weapon systems.
While a relatively new model for the cyber field, the EPM has a 25-year history being used in many high performance fields such as special operations forces, olympic programs, and professional sports organizations. With its implementation amongst the field of cyber, the EPM will serve as a foundation for helping Airmen reach their full potential.
“We are at a crossroads where the gap of being the most technological country is closing at a fast pace,” said Dr. Wanda Jones-Heath, Department of the Air Force principal cyber advisor assigned to the Pentagon. “To maintain a huge competitive advantage for our force means doing something different.”
Lt. Col. Andrew Wonpat, Department of the Air Force deputy principal cyber advisor assigned to the Pentagon, alongside the Liminal Collective team, is leading an effort to adapt this model into a scalable plan for the military cyber workforce through a 70-20-10 approach. This approach focuses on 70% fundamentals regarding sleep, stress, and recovery. 20% emphasizes immediate strategies such as specialized training and advanced performance tracking tools. The final 10% focuses on elite innovations and experimental methods in order to prepare cyber professionals.
“We are not trying to boil the ocean,” said Wonpat. “We are using a disciplined portfolio-based approach most people in technology or finance are already familiar with. This framework does not demand wholesale transformation. It demands disciplined iterative personal investment, compounding over time toward measurable outcomes”.
The cognitive warrior symposium underscored a growing consensus across military and civilian entities. The future of cyber superiority will depend as much on human performance as it does technological innovation. By introducing the EPM to the cyber domain, Airmen have the opportunity to become more resilient, adaptive, and mission ready, recognizing Airmen as a critical asset whose performance, well-being, and cohesion define the success in the next era of warfare.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2026 13:21 |
| Story ID: | 561914 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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