PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania –
For U.S. Air Force Maj. Chad Speer, the path from a small town in Alaska to competing on an Esports stage was never a straight line. But whether he was defending cyberspace or coordinating a team in the heat of competition, the mission always looked the same; communicate, adapt and execute.
Speer, the Director of Operations for the U.S. Air Force Information Network Mission Assurance Center, grew up in Wasilla, Alaska, where a high school friend first introduced him to gaming. He still remembers the moment clearly, huddled around an original Xbox, controller in hand, playing the first Halo game.
“That was it for me,” Speer said. “That’s where it started”
He began console gaming at 14 and transitioned to PC gaming at 18, but it wasn’t until he was stationed in Germany that gaming became something more competitive. It was there that Speer discovered Overwatch 1.
The results of his competitive play were hard to argue with. Speer climbed to a top-25 world ranking and went on to win the 2019 “Git Gud North American Championship”, establishing himself as one of the more elite competitors in the military gaming community.
That same competitive fire however, didn’t come without obstacles. When Speer entered the Air Force Academy, personal-electronic devices were off-limits during his first year, putting gaming entirely on hold.
“It just wasn’t possible,” he said. “You had to put that aspect of your life aside.”
After his first year at the Air Force Academy, things opened up for Speer. A roommate who shared a passion for gaming helped reignite his spark for gaming and Speer found himself back behind a mouse and keyboard. He learned about the Air Force’s competitive esports program early on but waited a year before joining in 2020.
When Marvel Rivals launched, Speer was drawn in immediately. As a fellow hero shooter in the same vein as Overwatch, it offered something familiar but fresh.
“I was interested in seeing a competitor breathe new life into the game,” Speer said.
For those who might see Esports and military service as two separate worlds, Speers draws on some of the similarities.
“Working with my group, which is also a small-team dynamic whenever we’re trying to solve a problem,” he said. “Each person has an assigned role, just like in the game. We’re all responsible for making sure we get our individual job done, but we must communicate effectively to make sure everyone is on the same page and working together toward the same goal. The game functions in the exact same way.”
That parallel extends to his growth as a leader. Speer said competing in Esports taught him the value of slowing down and listening, even if the instinct is to act.
“There are moments where, as the leader, you have to make split-second decisions,” he said. “But whenever time allows, I’ve seen the importance of having everyone give their thought process on what might be the best course of action.”
Outside of gaming and his operational duties, Speer is finishing his master’s degree in Joint Warfare by the end of the year. He credits his girlfriend and the demands of military service for keeping him driven.
“The military requires you to maintain that mind-body connection to be a good service member,” he said. “That doesn’t stop.”
For Speer, competing at the 2026 Armed Forces Esports Championship carried weight beyond the bracket. It marked the first time his team had come together in person, turning weeks and months of online coordination into something tangible.
“It’s the culmination of countless hours of practice and coordination, deliberating on strategy and schemes,” Speer said. “Winning is the goal, but we’re happy to have fun, hang out with each other and meet everyone in-person for the first time.”
To anyone who might raise an eyebrow at a U.S. Air Force major competing in an esports tournament, Speer has a simple response.
“You’re never too old to roll with the youngsters in gaming,” he said. “It takes more practice to maintain those reflexes, but it's doable.”