736th SFS Hosts PACAF ACSA K9 Competition

May 29, 2025 Hannah Sanchez 736th SFS, K9 MWD, Military Working Dog (MWD), SF Units, USAF, USAF MWD Comments Off on 736th SFS Hosts PACAF ACSA K9 Competition
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell Postmus, 647th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler and Baro, 647 SFS military working dog assigned to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, ruck Tarague Beach during a Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment K9 competition at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 19, 2025. The annual competition challenges military working dog teams across PACAF in agility, patrol and detection, and combat events. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Jasmine M. Barnes)
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam. — A Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment K9 competition was hosted by military working dog instructors assigned to the 736th Security Forces Squadron May 19 – 22, 2025, here.



The competition was designed to sharpen combat readiness, enhance interoperability and forge stronger bonds through realistic, high-intensity security forces scenarios in direct support of being prepared to meet challenges across the Indo-Pacific theatre.

Contestants from Republic of Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Japan, to include Japan Air Self-Defense Force, competed for four days to take the crown for PACAF’s best military working dog team.

“MWD teams were evaluated on the handlers’ ability to utilize their dogs effectively,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Madeira, 736 SFS MWD instructor and competition judge. “They were evaluated on patrol and detection skills during a series of field problems, and they executed a variation of different combat agility events with their dogs.”

Teams participated in a simulated stress fire event, dismounted detection, controlled aggression and more.

“We had different dog teams come in from across PACAF,” Madeira added. “Each base sent their best, which made it really hard for us, as instructors, to judge them. Everybody did phenomenal.”

The weather played a challenging factor during the competition for one of the contestants.

“The weather was definitely tough and played a factor for a lot of our dogs including those who operate in hot environments,” said Staff Sgt. Santos, 673rd Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. “The most challenging part of the competition was definitely doing the ruck up Tarague Beach here, but we all finished really strong.”

As Madeira and his counterparts plan for the 2026 competition, he offers future participants some advice to prepare.

“For next year, I’m looking forward to changing some things up, adding some new elements and taking things away from this year,” said Madeira. “Prep yourselves, prep your dogs and dig into the canine regulations that we have.”

The winners of the 2025 PACAF ACSA K9 competition are Staff Sgt. Russell Postmus and MWD Baro assigned to the 647th Security Forces Squadron out of Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii!

  • Published 
  • By Staff Sgt. Jasmine M. Barnes
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Kevin Mills, 374th Security Forces Squadron alarm monitor, Yokota Air Base, Japan, prepares to do hand release push-ups during the 2025 Advanced Combat Skills Assessment (ACSA) on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 19, 2025. The CFA is one of six events in the Advanced Combat Skills Assessment hosted by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) annually and includes participants from across PACAF, as well as service members from our allied and partnered nations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Gray, 36th Security Forces Squadron military working dog trainer, prepares to give Izmos, 36 SFS military working dog, a command during a Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment K9 competition at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 20, 2025. This year’s competition challenged contestants in various events to include dog carry, casualty evacuation, controlled aggression, stress fire and more. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Jasmine M. Barnes)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nyamuoch Dong, 176th Security Forces Squadron Advanced Combat Skills Assessment (ACSA) participant, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, emerges from the low crawl obstacle course at the Pacific Regional Training Center-Andersen, May 20, 2025. The Combat Agility Assessment portion of ACSA tested the Airmen’s ability to perform common Security Forces core tasks under less-than-ideal circumstances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).
2025 Advanced Combat Skills Assessment (ACSA) participants from across the Pacific Air Forces and U.S. allied and partner nations begin the 1.5 mile run portion of the Combat Fitness Assessment (CFA) on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 19, 2025. The CFA is one of six events in the 2025 ACSA competition hosted by Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) annually and includes participants from across PACAF, as well as service members from our allied and partnered nations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Gray, 36th Security Forces Squadron military working dog trainer, looks at the surrounding area during the dismounted detection portion of a Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment K9 competition at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 21, 2025. Contestants from Republic of Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Japan, to include Japan Air Self-Defense Force, competed for four days to take the crown for PACAF’s best military working dog team. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Jasmine M. Barnes)
U.S. Air Force Airman Jassiem Johnson, 647th Security Forces Squadron Advanced Combat Skills Assessment (ACSA) participant, Joint Base Peral Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, repels down a wall during the Combat Agility Assessment (CAA) at the Pacific Regional Training Center-Andersen, Guam, May 20, 2025. The CAA portion of ACSA tested the Airmen’s ability to perform common Security Forces core tasks under less-than-ideal circumstances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete).
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joseph Ingram, 8th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler assigned to Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, evacuates a simulated casualty during a Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment K9 competition at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 19, 2025. This year’s competition challenged contestants in various events to include dog carry, casualty evacuation, controlled aggression, stress fire and more. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Jasmine M. Barnes)
A Japan Air Self-Defense Force military working dog handler participates in a simulated stress fire event during a Pacific Air Forces Advanced Combat Skills Assessment K9 competition at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 22, 2025. This year’s competition challenged contestants in various events to include dog carry, casualty evacuation, controlled aggression, stress fire and more. (U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Jasmine M. Barnes)