A total of 14 security forces teams from multiple U.S. Air Force major commands, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and the German Air Force competed in the Airmen Defender Challenge Championship at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas, this week.

In the grueling combat endurance event, the German Air Force came out on top followed by the United States' Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command teams in second and third places, respectively.

Security forces airmen from Pacific Air Forces came won the entire competition, however, thereby securing the Defender Challenge Championship Trophy held by the British Royal Air Force since 2004. This is the first time the competition has been held since then.

In taking the trophy, PACAF totaled the most combined points in the contest in which security forces teams went head-to-head in several events, including realistic weapons scenarios, simulated dismounted operations and combat endurance.

The various challenges combined land navigation, shooting and other security forces skill-sets.

By winning the weapons competition, PACAF was also presented with the Coleman Cup, named after Brig. Gen. Richard Coleman, former Air Force Security Forces Center director of security forces and commander from 1997 to 2000.

Of the 14 teams competing, 12 were from U.S. Air Force major commands.

Brig. Gen. Andrea Tullos, Air Force director of security forces, presented the trophy to the winning PACAF team during an awards ceremony at Camp Bullis Thursday, the last day of the Defender Challenge.

The Defender Challenge began more than 37 years ago when Headquarters Air Force Office of Security Police first held the international defender’s competition, according to the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center at JBSA-Lackland.

Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.

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