168th and 268th Security Forces Squadron Airmen Compete At Advanced Combat Skills Assessment

ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM - Members of the 168th Security Forces Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, and 268th Security Forces Squadron, Clear Space Force Station, both in Alaska, competed at the Advanced Combat Skills Assessment hosted by Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, from July 31st to August 1st, 2023.

    The ACSA is a competition between the best Security Force Defenders across the Pacific Air Forces, testing their mental and physical endurance in events typical to the SF career field. The competition was comprised of an individual fitness test, a Weapons Challenge, Combat Endurance, Combat Agility, and an Air Force Combatives portion. The Alaska Airmen competed against 11 other PACAF SF teams from Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, and Guam. Though the event focused on team cohesion, certain elements were based on the performance of the individual.

    One of the competitors, Staff Sergeant Aiyana Pangelinan, 168 SFS, says it was crucial to understand who made up her team and the best path to success. “It’s nice to have some chemistry in the team and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses while working together. It helps when planning for events to know who will take on what role. Our team consisted of four members each having a different skill set. Teamwork was important because we were able to use each other's strengths to complete certain tasks with events like the HMMWV push or carrying the litter and jerry cans. Some of our team members had more experience with land navigation using a map and compass which helped during the Combat Endurance Portion of the event. Some members had more Combatives experience and hence represented our team for that portion of this entire challenge.”

    “The best part was seeing what we are truly capable of. You are tested mentally and physically during these events. Upon completion, you get to look back at what you’ve accomplished and it’s a great feeling,” says SSgt Pangelinan. 

    This year’s competition was the sixth annual, and SSgt Pangelinan hopes to be a part of future ACSAs. "I wanted to do something that would challenge me. It was an amazing opportunity, and I would love to do it again in the future.”