Samuel J. Ward

Captain Samuel J. Ward 

Captain Samuel Ward is the Adjunct Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies and Recruiting Officer, Detachment 205, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. In this capacity, he is responsible for training over 70 cadets and developing future Air Force officers. Prior to assuming his current duties, Captain Ward served as Operations Flight Commander, 628 Communications Squadron, JB Lindsey Graham.

Captain Ward commissioned into the United States Air Force in May 2021, graduating from Cedarville University and subsequently attended Undergraduate Cyber Warfare Training (UCWT) February 2022.  Upon graduation of UCWT, he received an assignment to JB Lindsey Graham.  While at JB Lindsey Graham, he served primarily in Flight Commander roles, both leading the Plans and Resources Flight and Operations Flight as part of the 628 Communications Squadron.       

In September 2025 he was deployed to serve as the Operations Flight Commander for the 332 Expeditionary Communications Squadron where he was responsible for overseeing operations of three networks supporting over 5,000 service members in support of OPERATION EPIC FURY.