YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Recently a team of 374th Security Forces Squadron defenders won the Advanced Combat Skills Assessment competition held June 18-22, 2018, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

The competition featured teams made of the best security forces members from Air Force bases across the Pacific. During the span of one week, the teams were tested on their tactical and field knowledge in various scenarios: including hand-to-hand combatives, marksmanship, range estimation, physical fitness, land navigation through jungle terrain, building clearing tactics and other simulated combat situations.

“It’s a competition to see what we train on within security forces,” said Staff Sgt. Oscar Gomez, 374 SFS 2018 ACSA team lead. “All the basic fundamental aspects we do in training are taken and made into a competition.”

Leading up to the competition Yokota’s five person team trained daily, honing their skills to ensure they would be ready for the rigors of the competition.

“We trained for the physical portion, which is the combat fitness test by doing the components of the test, running, push-up, pull-up, fireman carries multiple times in all our gear and armor,” said Gomez. “We also refreshed our training in weapons firing, tactics, land navigation, range estimation and self-aid and buddy care.”

The training not only helped prepare them for the ACSA competition, but also sharpen their real-world tactical knowledge, essential for an overseas security forces member.

“These are the key tasks and skills we need to have confidence in as security forces members,” said 2nd Lt. Chelsey Hibsch, 374 SFS 2018 ACSA team member. “You’re going to fall back on the level of your training and this just goes to shows how good our squadron’s been about training.”

Yokota’s team came back with more than just the top team trophy, they also won 4 of the 5 events including the combat fitness assessment, tactics, weapons and the mental and physical challenge.

“We all represent Yokota, so us doing very well represents this base as a whole,” said Gomez. “These defenders coming from Yokota are high speed, they know their job and they are the best of the best out of the Pacific.”

The team’s dedication, teamwork and Airmanship at the PACAF’s 2018 ACSA competition highlights one of the many reasons why Yokota is known as the Pacific’s premier power projection platform.