NBC recently announced the celebrities who’ll be participating in season one of Stars Earn Stripes, and now the network has revealed the real-life military personnel and first-responders who will be featured on the series. The ‘operatives’ include former U.S. Navy SEALS, Marines, Army Delta Force and Green Berets, as well as police officers.
The competition series will feature celebrities being trained by and competing alongside operatives as they give it their all to win money to help national veterans, service, and first-responder charities.
Stars and Stripes will premiere on August 13th at 8pm with a two-hour special. The show will normally air on Mondays at 9pm.
“We are honored to have such an extraordinary gathering of our nation’s military and first-responders join us on Stars Earn Stripes to participate, mentor, and challenge our celebrity competitors,” stated Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC. “It is humbling to think what these men have endured in their efforts to protect us and we cannot thank them enough for their service to this country.”
The operatives are:
Dale Comstock – A retired Master Sergeant who spent 20 years in the U.S. Army, Comstock was twice decorated for valor and spent half his tenure as a Delta Force Operator and five years as a Green Beret. After his retirement, he spent nine years as a freelance soldier in support of the global war on terror. Comstock currently resides in Panama City Beach, Fla., and is a vice president for a security consulting company, a university professor, martial arts instructor and competitive bodybuilder.
J.W. Cortes – Cortes served in the U.S. Marines Corps for 13 years, rising to the level of Gunnery Sergeant. He is an Iraq war veteran, having served in the beginning phases of the war in 2003. Also, during his time in the Marines Corps, he served at U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and in Canberra, Australia. He is currently an officer with the New York MTA Police Department and lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Brent Gleeson – A former U.S. Navy SEAL stationed at SEAL Team Five, Gleeson currently lives in San Diego, Calif., with his 6-year-old son. He has completed his enlistment in the service and is now a busy entrepreneur, public speaker, and co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Internet Marketing, Inc.
Chris Kyle – Kyle is a decorated former U.S. Navy SEAL and author of The New York Times best-selling book American Sniper, which details his experiences in Iraq. Kyle’s expert marksmanship during his four tours of duty earned him the nickname “The Devil of Ramadi” from the Iraqi insurgent forces. Kyle currently lives in Texas and runs a military training company, Craft International.
Andrew McLaren – McLaren, whose father was also a Marine and former Vietnam veteran, is a former U.S. Marine Sergeant. During his time in the Marines, he was with the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team and served in Iraq and Liberia. He is currently a contractor for various governmental and security agencies. He resides in Staten Island, N.Y.
Grady Powell – During his time as a Green Beret, Powell served as a Senior Detachment Weapons Sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces. Powell followed in the footsteps of both his father, a Vietnam-era Green Beret, and his grandfather, a decorated World War II combat veteran. Powell recently completed his five-year enlistment in the Army and has since returned to his hometown of St. Louis, Mo., spending his free time traveling the world in search of his next adrenaline fix.
Tom Stroup – A current member of the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff’s Department and a SWAT Commander, Stroup is a five-time world champion of international SWAT competitions. He is a fitness trainer and he is also a Gold Medalist in the “Toughest Cop Alive” competition, a national competition held annually in Florida.
Talon Smith – Smith, whose father served in the U.S. Air Force, is currently a U.S. Navy Corpsman 1st Reconnaissance Bn, stationed in Camp Pendleton. He just returned from deployment in Afghanistan in April. Smith has nearly completed his enlistment in the Navy and is currently attending college and awaiting the birth of his first child.
