Photo By Airman Keola Vischi | Participants from the Joint Cyber Engagement and Resilience Day take a group photo on...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – On March 19, chaplains of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hosted a first-of-its-kind Joint Cyber/Communications Engagement and Resiliency Day at JBER.
The event brought together Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Guardians across the total force in cyber and communication career fields to discuss and strengthen the technical muscle behind America’s cyber mission.
Organized by U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Russell Ward, a 673d Mission Support Group chaplain, the event set out to do more than exchange slides; it aimed to dismantle silos in the workplace, build relationships and refine technical skills for service members in the cyber and communication operations.
“Cyber and communication teams tackle many of the same challenges,” said Ward. “When we are in the same room, share what works and look out for each other’s well-being, we reduce friction and increase readiness.”
Service members were not restricted to job-specific discussions. They also explored six core skills of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, motivation and situational appropriateness. Participants connected these six core skills to daily mission sets, such as incident response and joint coordination.
“Without emotional intelligence, we’re very reactive,” said U.S. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremy Spain, a 59th Signal Battalion chaplain. “But if we understand the impact of emotions, that self-awareness helps us lead and relate better.”
A hands-on activity called “Read the Room” invited mixed-branch groups to rate fictional characters across six emotional intelligence skills, sparking discussion about culture, teamwork and how to translate soft skills into mission outcomes.
During the event, Spain emphasized the importance of celebrating good news. He spoke about avoiding “deflators” and recognizing and amplifying positive events and small wins.
“If we focus on the negatives, it saps the life out of us,” said Spain. “When we step back and celebrate the small things, it pours life back into us and allows a healthy perspective.”
The event made one point clear: technical excellence is only half the mission. The other half involves building relationships, resilience and emotional intelligence. By pairing emerging cyber trends with deliberate practices that celebrate wins and build connections, the military will continue to maintain and strengthen readiness.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2026 17:46 |
| Story ID: | 562922 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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