ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- It’s not every day you see an Oompa Loompa, three Roman soldiers and an orange clownfish running down the streets of Andersen Air Force Base, but this was only a small example of the colorful cast of characters who showed up for the 11th Air Task Force’s 5K Zombie Run on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2025.
The 11th ATF and its subordinate units—the 11th Combat Air Base Squadron, 824th Base Defense Squadron and 51st Combat Communications Squadron—has been in Guam since mid-September as part of a six-month deployment in the Pacific. While in Guam, the task force has begun twice-weekly physical training sessions to ensure Airmen are fit to fight and ready for any contingency. The deployed unit has especially focused on preparing for updated Physical Fitness Assessment standards that were outlined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, which included a 2-mile run instead of the previous 1.5-mile run and a height-to-weight composition test.
Staff Sgt. Estevan Gomez, 11th CABS Fitness Section Chief, came up with the idea of a themed fun run—the Zombie 5K—as a way to combine 11th ATF Commander Col. Brett Cassidy’s priorities of increasing fitness and improving morale. Gomez said the event took about four weeks to plan, with about 15 volunteers supplementing his team. The team presented Guam challenge coins to the top three male and female runners, as well as a “spirit award” that went to a few runners who were the most engaged and motivating with their peers.
“The event went really well,” Gomez said. “Everyone had a positive attitude participating in the run, and my team will use the knowledge we learned to better the upcoming runs. Having 11th ATF runs together builds team cohesion and a sense of community with the team has a whole. Instead of only seeing everyone for all calls, this way you're able to have fun and push yourself together.”
More than 300 Airmen participated in the event, though only a select few were brave enough to run in costume. 1st Lt. Iris Siegmund, 51st CBCS flight commander, got into the Halloween spirit by dressing up as Dory from “Finding Nemo,” running alongside someone who had dressed up as Nemo.
“It did make the run more fun,” Siegmund said afterwards. “It made the event feel like a Halloween event and not just another day of PT.”
“It’s every Airman’s responsibility to stay fit and ready for the fight,” said 11th ATF Commander Col. Brett Cassidy. “Events like the Zombie 5K give our members a chance to come together, have fun and boost their morale while getting those physical fitness standards we’re all called to maintain, whether at home or deployed. I was extremely proud of the hard work and creativity that went into organizing this event, as well as the high spirited efforts of everyone who participated in the race—especially the folks who decided to go all in and show up in costumes that maybe weren’t the most efficient for a 5K but definitely made the event that much more fun.”