Combat Missions: The Preview

It's been long delayed, but Combat Missions is finally set to debut on January 16 on the USA Network. Since my new assignment is to recap Mark Burnett's latest reality TV show, I figured it's high time for a preview.

Combat Missions is basically an old fashioned war game, with the volume turned way up. There are four teams competing against each other. Each team is made up of former military and law enforcement professionals. But these aren't fat guys stuffing donuts. Oh no, these are the cream of the crop. Navy SEALS, Green Berets, SWAT Team, and even the CIA.

The host of the show, known here as the Camp Commander, is none other then Rudy Boesch. The gruff, homophobic, but ultimately loveable star of the original Survivor will give the teams their orders. There are two types of contests in this show: Training Exercises and Combat Missions.

Training Exercises will consist of things that people learn in boot camp. And no, I'm not talking about that crappy show on Fox. For the most part, these will likely be won by nothing more then brute strength. Some of the contests will involve firing ranges, weapon assembly, and the good old fashioned military obstacle course.

Combat Missions are what the show is all about. These will be very elaborate missions in which teams will race to bust a meth lab, or destroy a tank, or rescue prisoners.

Each team will start with one thousand points. Every time they complete or win a Training Exercise, they will score between 25 and 50 points. These points are important to earn, because in the actual Combat Missions, you only lose points. That scoring goes as follows:

• Squads lose 5 points for each minute that passes.
• Squads lose 50 points for each team member that is "killed." More on that later.
• Squads lose 250 points if they fail their objectives.
• Additional points can be lost for not following instructions.

Now, at this point, you're thinking "Wow, a cool reality show where neat stuff happens and NOBODY GETS VOTED OUT! WOW!"

Stupid you.

After every Combat Mission, losing squads must vote out one member of their team. The kicker is, the vote is not anonymous. But unfortunately, teams aren't forced to actually vote, and can instead draw straws to decide who goes. And then on top of that, once someone is voted out, they REPLACE HIM with another person, and then continue on. Still not over the top yet? How about this: There is a ceremony where the voted out person is shown the door and the new person takes his place. It kind of makes the whole "Walk of Shame" controversy of Survivor: Africa seem petty.

Finally, let's take a brief look at the teams.

The Alpha Team
NAME: MARK JACKSON
AGE: 34
HOMETOWN: Chino, CA
EXPERIENCE: LAPD SWAT, 1996 - present

NAME: FRANK MONESTERE
AGE: 32
HOMETOWN: Philadelphia, PA
EXPERIENCE: 1991-1995: 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army; 1995-1998: U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets)
RANK: Captain

NAME: SCOTT OATES
AGE: 26
HOMETOWN: Virginia Beach, VA
EXPERIENCE: SEAL Team 2, 1995-2001
RANK: E-5

NAME: DAN O’SHEA
AGE: 31
HOMETOWN: Encinitas, CA
EXPERIENCE: SEAL Team 3, 1992-1998
RANK: Lieutenant

NAME: CHRIS PATE
AGE: 31
HOMETOWN: Panama City, FL
EXPERIENCE: Panama City SWAT Police Special Response Team and Special Investigations Unit, 1995 - present
RANK: Detective Corporal

NAME: MELL SPICER
AGE: 33
HOMETOWN: Las Vegas, NV
EXPERIENCE: SEAL Team 1, 1995-2000; E-5 Boatswain-Mate 2nd Class

The Bravo Team
NAME: JEFF BYERS
AGE: 24
HOMETOWN: Scottsdale, AZ
EXPERIENCE: Navy SEAL, 1995-2001

NAME: STEVE CLAGGETT
AGE: 42
HOMETOWN: Rowlett, TX
EXPERIENCE: Dallas Police Department: SWAT, nine years (Entry team leader); Narcotics, six years (undercover); Vice, one year
RANK: Senior Corporal

NAME: MARK CORWIN
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Houston, TX
EXPERIENCE: Marine Force Recon, 1991-1996

NAME: DEXTER FLETCHER
AGE: 37
HOMETOWN: Miami, FL
EXPERIENCE: Miami-Dade Police Department: Special Response Team, 1987 - present

NAME: BOB KAIN
AGE: 40
HOMETOWN: Thousand Oaks, CA
EXPERIENCE: LAPD SWAT, Marine Corps, 1985 - present

NAME: JODY TAYLOR
AGE: 40
HOMETOWN: Whiteville, NC
EXPERIENCE: Whiteville Police Department: SWAT Team, 12 years

The Charlie Team... Hey wait just a damn second here... THE CHARLIE TEAM? Nope, that's just going to complicate things. Thus, from this moment forth, the Charlie Team will be known as...

The Clank Team
NAME: ED BUGARIN
AGE: 51
HOMETOWN: Honolulu, HI
EXPERIENCE: 5th SFBA, 7th SFGA, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta, Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC), 1970 - 1992
RANK: E-9, Sergeant Major

NAME: OSSIE CRENSHAW
AGE: 43
HOMETOWN: San Dimas, CA
EXPERIENCE: LAPD: 21 years total service; 10 years in Special Weapons and Tactics; SWAT, 1991- present

NAME: JEFF EVERAGE
AGE: 32
HOMETOWN: Coronado, CA
EXPERIENCE: Navy SEAL, 10 years
RANK: LCDR

NAME: KEN GREAVES, JR
AGE: 44
HOMETOWN: Coppell, TX
EXPERIENCE: SEAL Team 3, U.S. Navy, 1974-1997
RANK: E-6, Gunner’s Mate Guns (SEAL) 1st Class

NAME: JOHN POTTER
AGE: 42
HOMETOWN: Anchorage, AK
EXPERIENCE: SEAL Team 2, 6, and 8, SFWO Key West; MFF Yuma, AZ, 1976-1998
RANK: E-7

NAME: JUSTIN YOUNG
AGE: 25
HOMETOWN: Gainesville, FL
EXPERIENCE: Marine Recon, five years
RANK: E-4, Corporal

The Delta Team
NAME: BAZ
AGE: 45
HOMETOWN: Hermosa Beach, CA EXPERIENCE: Marine Corps, 1978-1985; CIA, 1985-1995
RANK: Marine Corps: Captain; CIA: GS13
*Special Note: His name is simply BAZ, at least that's all the information we've been given.

NAME: GARTH ESTADT
AGE: 36
HOMETOWN: Lake Ariel, PA
EXPERIENCE: Green Beret, 1988-1997
RANK: O-3 / Captain

NAME: SCOTT HELVENSTON
AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Oceanside, CA
EXPERIENCE: Navy SEAL, 1982-1994
RANK: E-6/QM

NAME: RODNEY NUTTER
AGE: 25
HOMETOWN: San Diego, CA
EXPERIENCE: Marine Recon, 1994-1999
RANK: Sergeant

NAME: ROD TEEPLE
AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: San Francisco, CA
EXPERIENCE: Navy SEAL teams 1 and 3, 1988-1995
RANK: O-3, Lieutenant, USN

NAME: JOHN WINN
AGE: 34
HOMETOWN: Houston, TX
EXPERIENCE: Marine Recon: 1st Force Reconnaissance Company; 3rd Force Reconnaissance (DET), 1986-1994
RANK: E-5, Sergeant

Pre-Show Predictions

I pick the Delta team to win. They collectively have enough experience to be the most productive, but unlike Team Clank, they are still young enough to speed past the others. I pick team Alpha to finish in last.

Combat Missions premieres on Wednesday, January 16, at 10:00pm (9 central). The show will run for 14 weeks, ending on April 17th. Be sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps of the show done by myself, and other columns about Combat Missions.

Want to find out what host Rudy Boesch thinks? Check out The Book of Rudy: The Wit and Wisdom of Rudy Boesch Click Here to Buy It Now through Amazon!

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find our most recent articles at the Home page and take a look at our sections on Survivor: Africa and Temptation Island 2. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store!

For more news about reality TV, be sure to check out RealityTVFans.com and SirLinksALot!