PACAF traces its roots to the World War 11 activation of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) on 03 August 1944, at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. FEAF, subordinate to the U.S. Army Forces Far East, served as the headquarters of Allied Air Forces Southwest Pacific Area- By 1945, three numbered air forces -5th, 7th and 13th-supported operations in the Pacific Theater. At that time, the Army Air Forces in the Pacific was part of the largest and most powerful military organization every fielded by any nation.

After World I1, FEAF and 5th AF remained in Japan- 7th AF operated from Hawaii and, 13th AF was located in the Philippines. In the post-war years, FEAF was, designated the theater air force for the Far East Command. Thus, all air force  units in the Far East and Southwest Pacific were placed under one Air Force commander forth e first time.

When the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel June 25, 1950, FEAF consisted of 5th, 13th and 20th AF and the Far East Materiel Command. Four years after the Korean War armistice, FEAF was re-designated Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and transferred its headquarters to Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

By 1960, PACAF maintained a combat-ready deterrent force of some 35 squadrons, operating from 10 major bases located in half-dozen countries. 

Viet Nam 

In the early 60s, communist military strength and firepower in Vietnam increased. As a result, PACAF began a buildup in the area with the addition of troops and better arms and equipment. Top Dog was a Sentry Dog test program for base security in Viet Nam. It was launched two days after the successful ground attack on Da Nang Air Base (July 1, 1965). Forty dog teams were deployed to several bases in Viet Nam for a four-month test period. Dog teams placed on the perimeter in front of the machine gun towers/bunkers as the first line detection of intruders and subsequent early warning. Alerts were followed with a rapid response of security forces. In war, survival is the ultimate test.  The handlers returned to the US. The dogs remained in country and were reassigned to new handlers. The Air Force immediately started to ship dog teams to all the bases in Viet Nam and Thailand.  

The buildup of forces in Viet Nam created large dog sections at Southeast Asia (SEA) airbases. At the end of the 1965, there were only 99 sentry dogs assigned in Viet Nam. By September 1966, four hundred sixty-seven (467) dogs were eventually assigned to Vietnam airbases (Bien Hoa, Bien Thuy, Cam Ranh Bay, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Phu Cat, Phan Rang, Tan Son Nhut, and Pleiku Air Bases). Within a year of deployment, attacks on several bases had been stopped when dog teams detected the enemy forces. Dogs were also assigned to all airbases in Thailand. 

The Viet Cong forces feared all military working dogs. A bounty was placed on the lives of dog teams. Interestingly, the bounty was higher on the dog than the handler. The tattooed ear was proof of the dog's death. A leash was proof of the handler’s death.   

Over 4,000 dogs served our military in Southeast Asia. As American participation in the war ended, former bases were turned over to the Vietnamese Air Force. Dogs were treated as excess equipment. In some cases they were turned over to the Vietnamese military. This was a major mistake; the Vietnamese military never had an effective dog program. It cost more to feed a dog than it did to feed its Vietnamese handler. Plus, the average dog weighed 75 pounds and the average Vietnamese weighed 90 pounds. Rumors spread of military dogs being the main course at banquets.  Dog meat is considered a delicacy in the Orient!

Some dogs were shipped to the PACAF Dog School at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. These lucky dogs were transferred to other bases in the Pacific area. Two shipments of dogs were made to the DOD Dog Center at Lackland AFB, Texas.

Dogs were shipped from base to base ahead of the base closures.  But, it was soon the simple problem of too many dogs.  Some excess dogs were reassigned to other Pacific bases, but most were killed. At the end of the American cavalry era, the Army disposed of its horses by machine-gunning them to death. In our war, the dogs were also killed; only it was done in a more modern humane manner by a lethal drug overdose. 

The last American bases were in Thailand. Handlers from bases in Korea were sent TDY to assist in the base closures. SSgt John Grammer was TDY to Korat Royal Thai Air Base. He reported that the veterinarian euthanized as many as six dogs every day, sometimes more, until they were all destroyed. 

PACAF combat aircraft flew their last strikes in Cambodia on 15 August 1 973 and wrote the final chapter to the long, costly history of active American participation in the Indochina War. The post-Vietnam era found the command focused on readiness improvement.