From Mark Burnett of Eco Challenge and Survivor comes this reality based show of professionally trained former military special forces and police SWAT personnel who compete in (like the shows title says) "Combat Missions" The show has an appeal to it but unlike Burnetts other big hit Survivor it may have a hard time clicking with everyone. The individuals who compete as members of the four teams know their business and are no nonsense professionals unlike the sometimes-hapless people who make up the sixteen-castaways/stranded gangs in Survivor. For the most part viewers of reality shows like a combination of drama and comedy and it's hard to imagine that there will be much comedy in this series. Former Survivor and retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer BMCM Rudy Boesch is the Commanding Officer of the Camp known as Camp Windstorm. He has been given the simulated rank (which reminded me of the film Bridge on the River Kwai when William Holdens character was given the simulated rank of Major) of Colonel. The teams compete in various missions and of course one of them has to lose. Upon losing the team must discharge one of their number. With a unique twist to the game if they refuse to vote out a team member they draw Officer swords in which one has a red tip. The unlucky warrior who draws the red tipped sword is given his DD 214 and mustered out. The team then selects a new member from a dossier of qualified candidates to join their ranks. This also adds a new twist. By the end of the series the teams may in fact personnel wise look nothing like they did when they started. Bottom line if one is a fan of military films, firearms etc then they'll enjoy this show if they aren't then they won't.
Review of Combat Missions
