MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. --
Marines with Security Company took home the CO’s Cup after
defeating their peers in a field meet during Headquarters Support Battalion’s
monthly Commander’s Cup Challenge, May 15.
Security Company led the way in seven of the nine
competitions and won with 45 points. Alpha Company was awarded second place
with 20 points while Bravo and India companies were disqualified for lack of participation.
Each event, with the exception of the tug-of-war and Super Squad, was worth
five points. The tug-of-war and Super Squad were worth 15 points.
“Security Company is taking back a lot of pride, but every
company is walking away with a sense of accomplishment,” said Lt. Col. Harry
Gardner, the commanding officer of HQSPT Bn.
The Commander’s Cup Challenge is a year-long series of
physical competitions, held from July to June, where the battalion’s companies
build teams to battle it out on any field for fun and a chance to be the top
company in the battalion. In the past, competitions have ranged from team
sports, like basketball games, to endurance races and obstacle courses.
“(The Commander’s Cup Challenge) gives members of the
battalion a break each month to compete and show company pride,” said Gardner.
“We vary the events each month so companies can choose different members to
participate.”
The field meet included customary events, like a tug-of-war
and dizzy izzy competition, as well as physical challenges typical of the
Marine Corps, such as a rifle assembly and disassembly relay and an ammo can
relay.
However, none of the events challenged participants more
than the Super Squad, an event where eight-man teams competed to build-a-house across
the field, perform buddy sit-ups, squad pushups, a belt drag and 10 burpees.
“I felt like I was going to die (during the Super Squad
event), but I put out,” said Lance Cpl. Louis Huntoon, a clerk with Alpha
Company. “I haven’t felt like that since boot camp.”
The Super Squad was the most fun event, but it was also the
hardest in the competition, said Huntoon.
“My favorite part was watching all of the Marines really
push themselves during the Super Squad,” said Gardner. “There were so many
facets to that event. The exertion they went through was really impressive.”
While physical challenges are plentiful throughout all
Commander’s Cup Challenges, each event serves as more than an opportunity to
compete.
Cpl. Markecia Polk, an administrative specialist with Alpha
Company, found seeing other Marines in a relaxed atmosphere to be one of the
highlights of the event.
“Meeting everybody is really fun, especially because we
don’t see each other on a day-to-day basis,” said Polk. “It was really great to
get together and hang out. There were no ranks. Everybody was just enjoying
each other’s company.”
Building a sense of camaraderie within the battalion was one
of the goals of the event, said Gardner.
“The Marines exerted themselves as a team, and they got to
enjoy each other’s company while they did it,” Gardner added. “Everybody had
fun. There was a lot of humor and good competition.”
Security Company is in the lead for the overall Commander’s
Cup Challenge with six wins.
“It felt great to win,” said Lance Cpl. Michael Guetti, a
corrections specialist with Security Company. “It feels good to be a part of a
group like this. We worked hard, but we were there to have a good time and meet
people.”
The Commander’s Cup Challenge will continue with a kayak
relay at the end of the month. It is set to conclude with a ground fighting
competition, June 20.
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