New York Guard Major Blends Psychology and Warhammer Competition

LATHAM, N.Y. -By day, New York Army National Guard Maj. Matthew Southard supports Soldiers' mental readiness as the state's behavioral health officer. By night, he competes at the highest levels of a global tabletop gaming community - recently earning his third Warhammer 40,000 Hobby World Championship in four years.

Southard's dual roles intersect through the U.S. Army Esports Team, where he represents the Army while applying principles of performance psychology, teamwork and discipline. His success highlights how the Guard engages nontraditional communities and leverages Soldiers' diverse skills to support readiness and outreach in the 21st century.

New York Army National Guard Maj. Matthew Southard has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, two master's degrees, serves as a supervising psychologist for the New York Police Department, runs a sports psychology practice, and is the state behavioral health officer for the New York Army National Guard.

He is also known in the competitive gaming community as "Matt Aaron," the 2025 Warhammer 40,000 Hobby World Champion.

Southard earned the title - for the third time in four years - after competing in multiple Warhammer tournaments across the country as a member of the U.S. Army Esports Team.

In the Warhammer community, the achievement is significant.

Warhammer 40,000 is a 38-year-old tabletop hobby that involves building and painting miniature figures and competing in structured tabletop battles. The science-fiction-based storyline resembles Dungeons & Dragons, but is set in a futuristic universe featuring space marines, robots, elves, orks, armored vehicles and advanced weaponry.

Southard said he began using the name Matt Aaron as an inside joke among friends and continues to use it as his gamer tag to maintain personal privacy and separate his professional and recreational activities.

As a recognized figure in the Warhammer community, Southard appears in Warhammer YouTube videos and podcasts discussing the game and travels nationwide to teach painting seminars.

Competitive Warhammer events often include awards for best general, best painter, sportsmanship and, in some cases, an overall championship combining multiple categories, Southard explained.

Southard said he was introduced to the hobby at a young age. While he enjoyed playing the game, he was especially drawn to the painting aspect.

He later earned degrees in psychology and biomedical science from the University at Buffalo and commissioned as a second lieutenant in the New York Army National Guard through the Canisius University ROTC program.

Southard served in the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, as a platoon leader and rear detachment troop executive officer; as a medical operations officer for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team; and as a behavioral health officer for the 427th Support Battalion's medical company.

He earned a master's degree in psychology from Adelphi University in late 2011 and subsequently deployed to the Middle East as the medical operations officer for the 27th Mobile Engagement Team.

After returning to New York, Southard completed his doctorate at the City University of New York.

While completing his residency at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, Southard reconnected with an old Warhammer friend and returned to the hobby.

"The game is a great social conduit in many ways," Southard said.

"I am a psychologist, and the painting side is my creative outlet," he added. "It is my therapy in a way."

After returning to the hobby, Southard began entering his painted figures into professional competitions with hundreds of participants and found continued success.

He was introduced to the Army Esports Team after meeting a team member at one of those events and later joined to represent the Army in outreach and engagement efforts within the gaming community, he said.

The Army Esports Team is part of the Army's Marketing and Engagement Brigade. Team members participate in video game and tabletop gaming events while representing the Army to broader gaming audiences.

The goal, Southard explained, is to expose individuals in the gaming community to Soldiers and inform them about opportunities to serve in the Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard.

He added that gaming communities often include individuals with skills and aptitudes relevant to modern military operations, such as critical thinking, adaptability, and teamwork.

Winning the 2025 championship required competing in six nationally recognized tournaments. At the conclusion of the season in November, scores based on both painting and gameplay were combined to determine overall yearly rankings.

In addition to combining his interests in art and gaming, Southard applies elements of performance psychology through volunteer mentorship with Army Esports Team members, helping them develop techniques to manage stress and maintain focus during competition.

"You're trying to help athletes reach peak performance," Southard said.

"It ties together several things I love to do," he added.

Currently, Southard is supporting nearly 3,000 New York National Guardsmen on state active duty assigned to the New York Department of Corrections mission.

Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the mission are working in a demanding environment to support an understaffed corrections officer force.

Southard said his role is to help service members manage stress and maintain readiness while performing their duties.

"My calling is to support military service members," he said. "I want to make sure they receive the help they deserve."

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