http://www.nbc.com/stars-earn-stripes/about/

On Monday, Aug. 13, NBC launches "Stars Earn Stripes," a reality-competition series from reality mogul Mark Burnett and "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf. It pairs celebrities with military veterans and first responders, who train them for simulated missions in a contest to benefit national veterans, service and first-responder charities.

Think of it as "Dancing With Guns (and Choppers)."

The show's hosts are  General Wesley Clark (Retired, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO and one-time presidential hopeful) and TV personality Samantha Harris ("Dancing With the Stars," "Entertainment Tonight").

The celebrities are boxer (and "Dancing With the Stars" competitor) Laila Ali, actor and former NFL player Terry Crews, singer and TV host Nick Lachey ("The Sing-Off"), four-time Iron Dog Snowmobile Race champion Todd Palin (at left; husband of former Alaska Governor and 2008 GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, with whom he appeared in Burnett's TLC reality show "Sarah Palin's Alaska"), actor Dean Cain, Olympic gold-medal skier Picabo Street, "The Biggest Loser" trainer Dolvett Quince and pro wrestler Eve Torres.

"I'm a little sore," Palin tells Zap2it, calling in from his Arizona home, hours before flying back to Alaska to return to commercial fishing.

Asked what he did for the show -- which just finished filming -- Palin says, "You name it, jumping out of helicopters, running, rappelling walls, shooting all kinds of weapons. It was just insane."

Today, NBC announces the operatives who worked with the celebrities. They are:

-    Dale Comstock, who served with the United States Army's 3rd Special Forces Group (Green Beret) and the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment -- Delta (Delta Force).

-    J.W. Cortes, a former United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom; currently a New York MTA Police Department officer.

-    Brent Gleeson, former United States Navy SEAL stationed at SEAL Team Five.Thumbnail image for Stars-Earn-Stripes-Operatives.jpg

-    Chris Kyle (nickname "The Devil of Ramadi"), former U.S. Navy SEAL and author of "American Sniper."

-    Andrew McLaren, a former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant, who served in Iraq and Liberia.

-    Grady Powell, a former U.S. Amy Green Beret.

-    Tom Stroup, a SWAT Commander for the Orange County (Fla.) Sheriffs Office.

-    Talon Smith, an active-duty U.S. Navy Corpsman and actor; recently returned from deployment in Afghanistan, he's currently stationed at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.


"As you know," says Burnett, "I am a veteran and served in the [British Army] Parachute Regiments. I love the military. What this show is, and what you'll see, is a love letter, in a fun way, to those who protect and serve us, showing how hard it is to do their job.

"The takeaway for the public is the fascination with Green Berets and Delta Force and SEALs, and now they get to meet some of them up close and personal, watch them train celebrities and then do missions side-by-side."

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/07/stars-earn-stripes-todd-palin-and-mark-burnett-discuss-the-nbc-shows-operatives.html

This show started this last weekend and I thought it was pretty cool. Each star is paired up with a veteran and the veterans take them thru the operation of each weapon they will use. In this case they learned the M204 grenade launcher and of course the obligatory M16 style weapons. In this first show they were choppered out to the middle of the lake and while wearing full combat gear they jumped out of the choppers into the water. They had to swim to a zodiac and get transported to the shore where they were being fired upon by the enemy (okay, not really, it was Hollywood effects). Once on shore they had to first take out a watch tower with the M204 and then pick off a variety of target, some of which were moving. Once they did that then they had to slog thru mud that they were sinking in about a foot, pick up a crate of "explosives" and carry it to a shed that they had to knock down the door, set the explosive then a chopper came in, dropped rope and picked the up and flew off. Once they became airborne they then blew the shed to pieces.

It is all in fun but at the same time any money they make is strictly for veteran service charities: Laila Ali – Military Child Education Coalition (http://www.militarychild.org), Dean Cain – Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), Terry Crews – The Pat Tillman Foundation (http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org), Nick Lachey – The Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation (www.bohmf.org), Todd Palin – Armed Services YMCA Alaska (http://www.asymcaofalaska.com), Dolvett Quince – Got your 6 (www.gotyour6.org), Picabo Street – Hiring Our Heroes (www.uschamber.com/hiringourheroes) and Eve Torres – USO (www.uso.org).

I was surprised at how well some did, and how bad some did... LOL!!!  Mr. Palin was a monster in the mud! 

One of the "operatives" is a friend and co-worker of mine ...... It really makes you feel kinda "attached" in a round-a-bout way.

One of the "operatives" is a friend and co-worker of mine ...... It really makes you feel kinda "attached" in a round-a-bout way.