NBC’s New Reality Show Salutes Veterans

NBC is gearing up for a new competition series later this summer that will bring celebrities and military personnel together as they work to raise money for charities. Stars Earn Stripes is described as being a “fierce and emotionally charged new competition show honoring America’s armed forces.”

In each show, celebrity contestants are paired with former military or law enforcement members (known as an “operative”) to compete in a series of missions inspired by military exercises. Some of the events teams will be encountering involve handling weapons to jumping out of helicopters. The operative will coach and guide their celebrity teammate on their training and each of their missions and will compete along-side them. The celebrities will be tested emotionally and physically as they play to earn a cash prize for military, veterans and first-responder based charities. Each week one of the teams will be eliminated from the competition.

Celebrities competing are Sing-Off host Nick Lachey, Todd Plain, husband of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, boxing champion Laila Ali, Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street, WWE wrestler Eve Torres, actor Dean Cain, former NFL player and actor Terry Crews, and The Biggest Loser trainer Dolvett Quince.

Former U.S. Army general Wesley Clark and current Dancing with the Stars co-host Samantha Harris will host the show. Mark Burnett and Fear Factor’s David A. Hurwitz will produce Stars Earn Stripes.

Summer time is the season for these reality competitions. It’s nice to see a show focused on the dedicated men and women who fight for our country every day, and knowing that these charities are going to benefit from it. The show’s producers have even expressed a commitment to hire veterans to be a part of the crew during the show.

Stars Earn Stripes premieres on Monday, August 13 on NBC.