Thousands of men and women of the Air Guard and Army Guard filled The University of Guam field house for the closing ceremony. (photo by Errol Alegre Jr.)
To promote camaraderie and esprit de corps—a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group—this was the goal of the The Adjutant General (TAG) Cup.
The tournament came to a close Sunday morning at the University of Guam Field House, as the basketball and volleyball championships wrapped up the six month long tournament.
Guam National Guard Adjutant General Benny Paulino remarked about the tournament saying, “I thought it turned out really great. The whole intent was to get the Army Guard and the Air Guard and their family members together. So when we do these events it gives the opportunity for Army and Air family members to do an event together and enjoy themselves. It really went a long way. It helped promote the morale of the organization, build esprit and camaraderie.”
Adjutant General Benny Paulino
Chief Master Sergeant John Quinata
It came down to Sunday’s events to determine the overall winner, as the differences in points were very small between the top teams. The 254th Security Forces Squadron/Red Horse returned as TAG Cup champions for the second year in a row after winning in both the volleyball and basketball championships. 254th’s John Chaco participated in both events and was a part of last year’s championship basketball team.
“It’s good to bring the Army and Air Guard together. We work together a lot of times and it’s good to get camaraderie,” said Chaco.
Chief of the 254th John Quinata resounded saying, “This is a way to get the camaraderie between the Army and the Air and within all the different units. It brings us espirit de corps and also gets us to know one another.”
The 254th Security Forces Squadron/Red Horse retained their basketball title along with the overall TAG Cup title. (photo by Errol Alegre Jr.)
Being a part of the TAG cup has allowed all its participants to become familiar with one another, thus creating a friendlier working environment.
We’re all one family, we’re all under one umbrella under the Governor of Guam and of course, the Adjutant General Benny Paulino. But we’re all under one roof and it’s good for us to know each other. For example if we have a disaster down the line, we may be working together outside in the community and this is how we gel. This is part of getting together.”
TAG Cup Results
The TAG cup consisted of eleven events beginning in January of this year. The TAG Cup officially ended with the winners of the different events receiving their respective trophies at the award ceremony at the Field House. The event winners include:
OVERALL
1st 254th Security Forces Squadron
2nd IBU (94th CST, MEDCOM, 203d RTI, RRB, DMA)
3rd 254th Air Base Group