The continual need to sustain a constant high operational tempo in response to real-time threats to cyber operations critical to U.S. Air Force operations has raised concerns among commanders (i.e., line and medical leadership) regarding the prevalence of occupational burnout and clinical distress among this critical workforce. The purpose of this study is to identify the main sources of occupational stress and prevalence of burnout and clinical distress within the cyber warfare community. This study involved cyber warfare operators including active duty (n = 376) and civilian contractor and Department of the Air Force Government personnel (n = 156) at Air Force installations within the continental U.S. This study also included airmen from logistics/support units (n = 795) from continental U.S. units to serve as a control-comparison group. Participants in the study completed a web-based self-report occupational health stress screening that included: (a) demographic and background questionnaire, (b) qualitative open-ended items asking respondents to describe their top sources of occupational stress, (c) the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and (d) the Outcome Questionaire-45.2. Results revealed that when compared to civilian cyber warfare operators, active duty cyber warfare operators are more likely to suffer from the facets of occupational burnout involving emotional exhaustion and cynicism and are at increased risk for clinical distress. Qualitative analyses of respondents’ write-in responses revealed cyber warfare operators attributed shift work, shift changes, and hours worked as the primary sources of high occupational stress. Cyber warfare stressors (such as attacking adversarial networks or defending Government cyber networks from real-time attacks) were not listed as primary stressors. Recommendations to leadership and medical personnel to mitigate burnout and clinical distress among cyber warfare operators are discussed.
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