MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Marines with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 hosted the Spartan Cup at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., Dec. 18, 2014, with Company B winning the biannual award.The competition between Headquarters and Service Company, Company A and Company B, helps the Marines focus on Marine Corps fundamentals, such as fidelity, fighter, fitness, family, finances and future according to 1st Lt. Mark Semancik, commander of Company A.“The Spartan Cup is important because it gives the companies a chance to increase their overall readiness,” said Semancik. “We are testing the squadron on everything that makes a great squadron great.”The squadron’s leaders use the Spartan Cup as a tool to help Marines work toward operational excellence by engaging in friendly competition. The Marines competed in various challenges and tasks during the cup including pull-ups, tire flips, tug-of-war and Humvee push. More than 500 Marines participated in the series of challenges, said Semancik. Each company competed for several awards including the Spartan Shield, Spartan Guidon, Spartan Spear and a Spartan Helmet. “Four trophies are awarded,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Anthony Magallanes, the communications chief with MWCS-28. “Each of the four trophies awarded to the winners represented an aspect of the Spartan warrior spirit and culture,” said Magallanes.According to Magallanes, the intent of the competition is to encourage the highest degree of combat readiness in a broad range of categories. This helps the Marines achieve balanced excellence, promotes esprit de corps and cultivates a competitive spirit across the squadron, while fostering the development of small unit leaders and organizational pride. “This competition gives Marines a chance to get away from the mundane and builds camaraderie while strengthening cohesion in the squadron,” said Cpl. Alexander Beauchene, a field wireman with MWCS-28. “In a squadron like this, you have Marines from all military occupational specialties depending on one another for services and assistance, during deployments and in garrison. Close knit camaraderie keeps cohesion and the connection between Marines tight so we can depend on one another.”-30-