The Air Force's dedication to excellence lives in the actions of Airman 1st Class Jessica Morehouse.

A firefighter stationed at the Air Force Academy Fire Department, Morehouse and Stacy Billapando, a civilian firefighter with the Colorado Springs Fire Department, teamed up to set two world records during the recently completed Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge.

The women, who call their team "Old Dog, New Trick," set their records in tandem and relay events designed to measure perfection.

The competition is no walk in the park. The challenge simulates the physical demands of firefighting by running firefighters through a series of five back-to-back backbreaking tasks.

"I only hear my team yelling at me to hurry up," wrote Morehouse in an e-mail.  "This pushes me so all that goes through my mind is to try and go as fast as I can without falling."

Competitors face timed challenges in a five-story tower climb, a hoist and chop, dragging fully charged hoses and rescuing and pulling a life-sized 175-pound "victim" backward 75 feet.

"It gets down to technique," Morehouse said.

To make the event more realistic, the competitors must wear their firefighting gear, including an air-breathing apparatus, throughout the competition. Firefighters must master the techniques of each physical event while running against the clock, and fractions of a second can be the difference between advancing to the next level of competition and going home.

Morehouse credits her father, 1st Sgt. Carl Morehouse, with setting an example to follow. A fixture at the U.S. Army NCO Reserve-Army Component Academy, 1st Sgt. Morehouse said he is proud of his daughter.

"I am extremely pleased and proud of what she has done," said Carl, adding that only one in five females who attend the Air Force's firefighter course meet with success.

"I think he has given me an understanding and respect for the people that serve this country and how much they give up to do so," Jessica said of her father.