Cherry Point Sailors Compete, Celebrate Birthday of U.S. Navy Corpsman

18 June 2025

From Thomas Cieslak - Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point

Sailors serving aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point celebrated the birthday and legacy of the U.S. Navy’s most decorated rate during a competition held aboard the base on Friday, June 13.

Corpsmen of Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point competed in the “Corpsmen Cup” to demonstrate their skills and claim the coveted trophy to display until next year’s competition.

“The goal is for Corpsmen of all ranks to remember our heritage and inspire the younger generations” said Hospital Corpsman Second Class Zachary Roy, one of the event’s organizers.

Corpsmen serve aboard the clinic in a variety of roles ensuring the medical and deployment readiness of Marines and Sailors assigned to the base while caring for their family members. They often rotate between departments to build their skillsets and expose them to different facets of the medical field.

*Training* Lieutenant Commander Jacob Wittenauer, right, performs a chest decompression on a training manikin during the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations. Wittenauer serves aboard Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point.

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Christopher Cusson, left, and Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jon Cericola, both assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Warrior Wellness and Readiness Clinic, sprint during a shuttle run event as part of the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jon Cericola, a Sailor assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Warrior Wellness and Readiness Clinic receives congratulations for holding a plank for five minutes, fifty-one seconds to win the Corpsman Cup for his team during a tie-breaker event. The Corpsman Cup, held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, tested the Sailors tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

*Training* Hospital Corpsman Nicholas Regis, a Sailor assigned to Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, drags a training manikin during the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospital Corpsman First Class Luis Ibarra, a Sailor assigned to Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, briefs Sailors about the upcoming events during the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospitalman Matthew Gill, a Sailor assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Warrior Wellness and Readiness clinic, inspects an IV needle before inserting into a training aid during the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

*Training* Hospital Corpsman Third Class Jerrod Campbell, a Sailor assigned to Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, applies a bandage to a training manikin during the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

*Training* Hospital Corpsman Nicholas Regis, a Sailor assigned to Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, applies a tourniquet to a training manikin during the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Sailors cheer as Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jon Cericola, a Sailor assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Warrior Wellness and Readiness Clinic wins a tie-breaker plank event with a total time of five minutes, fifty-one seconds, to win the Corpsman Cup for his team. The Corpsman Cup, held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, tested the Sailors tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Nicholas Ebling, a Sailor assigned to Naval Heath Clinic Cherry Point, conducts ammo-can lifts as part of the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Dru Calloway, a Sailor assigned to Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point, conducts pushups as part of the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Nicholas Thigpen, a Sailor assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing’s Warrior Wellness and Readiness Clinic, conducts ammo-can lifts as part of the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Riley Manning, a Sailor assigned to the 12th Dental Company, conducts ammo-can lifts as part of the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

Hospitalman Gabriella Tellez, a Sailor assigned to Naval Heath Clinic Cherry Point, conducts ammo-can lifts as part of the Corpsman Cup held Friday, June 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The event tested the Corpsmen’s’ tactical medical skills, mental resilience and physical fitness through various stations.

“They will gain a sense of pride for their rate, learn about their history and build their physical fitness,” said Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Cory Butler, the clinic’s Senior Enlisted Leader about what the competition demanded of participants.

Early that morning, five teams gathered at MCAS Cherry Point’s Devil Dog Dare complex and received a briefing and encouragement from Butler before beginning.

The events tested each Sailor’s physical stamina, technical skills and mental toughness through stations requiring tourniquet application and needle decompression with other stations challenging their patient care knowledge.

The final event was a tiebreaker between two evenly scored teams to see who could hold a plank exercise longest. As competitors dropped out one-by-one, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Jon Cericola from the Warrior Wellness and Readiness Clinic remained, winning the competition for his team with a total plank time of five minutes, fifty-one seconds.

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