JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Clad in gas masks and Airman Battle Uniforms, four Airmen sprinted a half mile around the track outside the Elmendorf Fitness Center.

I could barely stay in front of them – without a gas mask.

The four Airmen chasing me down were from the 673d Security Forces Squadron and were training for the 2017 Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment, in which they are currently competing.

The challenge incorporates mental and physical competitions as well as tactics, weapons, the Marine Corps combat fitness test and a military working dog portion. Teams from throughout PACAF will vie for the title.

Though it is a PACAF event, the competition allows anybody with a military police designator to compete, whether Navy, Army, Air Force.

Last year, the team had five Airmen and one Soldier; this year it’s comprised entirely of Air Force members.

“I think having an Army person last year helped tremendously,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Bonham, 673d SFS Base Defense Operations Center controller. “He brought a lot of different tactics and practices we don’t perform in the Air Force very often. We’re still teaching and using that experience this year.”

“Depending on the base, you’ll have different competitions to make the team,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Hefley, 673d SFS Falcon Flight sergeant. “We use an 880 meter sprint, 91 ammunition-can lifts, movement to contact, and a couple other things.”

After being down for many years, the program has recently been reactivated on a PACAF level as they gauge interest to determine whether to make it national, Hefley said.

The team of six Airmen had exactly 30 days to train for the event, said Senior Master Sgt. Eric Hall, 673d SFS integrated defense superintendent, and not a moment more. That means the 30 days leading up to the test were filled to bursting with aggressive training and conditioning.

“You really get a sense of team work with such a small group,” Hefley said. “You learn each other’s flaws and strengths and build one of the best team dynamics you could ever have.”

As the coach, Hall aims to push the team harder in training than the test requires.

The event requires a half-mile sprint in ABUs? Have them do it in gas masks.

“Last year we kept our cool and worked together as a team very well,” Bonham said. “I think we’ll do the same this year. We’re going to have a lot more experience than the other teams and know exactly what to expect. We’re going to know how to conduct ourselves in the competition setting.

“Anything we’re tasked to do, we’ll do as best as we can.”