Combat Missions is an American reality television series produced by Mark Burnett and hosted by former Survivor castaway Rudy Boesch that aired from January 16 to April 17, 2002 on the USA Network. It pits four teams of highly experienced military and police operatives against each other in physical challenges and "mission" scenarios. Each team has a call sign and corresponding color. The four teams are Alpha (Red), Bravo (Blue), Charlie (Yellow) and Delta (Green). The team members were past and present members of SWAT, the United States Army Special Forces, the Navy SEALs, Marine Recon, the CIA Special Operations Group, Delta Force, and the U.S. Army Rangers. The mission scenarios has each team face off against the opposing "Shadow force" (not another team) using MILES gear in real-life combat situations. The show was not picked up for a second season.
Scott Helvenston, one of the contestants from the Delta team went on to work for Blackwater USA in Iraq after the show and was killed in action on March 31, 2004.
Competition
The four squads in the competition are all unique.
Alpha Squad: The young guns mainly with SEAL backgrounds.
Bravo Squad: Urban assault consisting mainly of SWAT cops.
Charlie Squad: The "Over the Hill" club. Majority of the teammates are in their 40s and one in their 50s.
Delta Squad: The oddballs including prankster Rod Nutter and Baz who works for the CIA.
Each of the four squads starts the competition with six players. The 15-week contest—each week referred to as an "Evolution"—is split into three rounds. During each evolution two squads are chosen to go head to head, first in a training exercise and then in a combat mission.
At the start of each evolution, all four squads are required to fall in formation when ordered and to report that each squad member is present. Rudy Boesch will then tell them which two squads are going head to head during that evolution and may even add some additional information such as the weather condition for the day or a brief introduction of any new team members that have joined the squad.
Training exercises are usually physical challenges, including climbing, swimming, running and shooting. The winning squad receives extra points towards that week's mission.
The combat mission pits those two same squads into separate but identical situations against "Shadow Squad", who are also highly trained, in a combat-like scenario, some military in nature, some SWAT-related. Both squads start out with 1000 points, plus whatever point bonus was earned by the winner of the training mission. Points are then deducted for team members killed during the mission (50 points for each team member) and time taken in the mission itself (5 points per minute). Failure to complete all mandatory objectives, or the death of all team members results in a "total mission failure." There may be additional objectives given during the mission and will result in further point deductions if not completed (e.g. Evolutions 7 and 8 required the squads to secure an undercover ATF agent. Failure to secure him resulted in a 100-point penalty).
After both squads have a run at the mission, they will be summoned to the briefing room where their results will be scored. Whichever squad has the most points wins and their squad stays intact. The losing squad will have 10 minutes to pack their gear and report to the discharge room.
For the first twelve evolutions, the team with the lower score was obligated to discharge a teammate. The choice for discharge would be selected either by vote or, in case of a tie or refusal, drawing swords until one man pulls one with a red tip; that man would be discharged. For the first six evolutions, the teammate who is being discharged will stay in the discharge room while the rest of the team headed into the dossier room to select a replacement. The squad has 10 minutes to decide on whom to select. From evolution 7-10, lost players were no longer replaced, severely weakening the losing squads. If a team member from any squad during Evolutions 7-10 has an injury or illness that prevents him from continuing in the competition, they may voluntarily be discharged and the squad can go into the dossier room to find a replacement. During the last phase, the entire losing squad was kicked off in order to determine the overall winning squad. After that squad (Bravo) was selected, it was split into two teams of 3 who faced off. From those 3 remaining players one was eliminated in a Training Exercise, and the final two faced off in a mission in order to select the Combat Missions individual champion.
During the discharge ceremony at the end of each evolution, the three squads (2 squads that didn't compete during that evolution and the winning squad) fell in formation (similar to the beginning of each evolution). The remaining squad members of the losing squad assemble up front waiting for their discharged teammate to exit the discharge room. Once the discharged teammate comes out of the room, Rudy Boesch commends him and renders him a salute and officially dismisses him from the camp. His teammates also say goodbye to him as he walks out. A vehicle will pull up outside the camp gates to collect him. During evolutions 1-6, the same vehicle will drop off a teammate whom the losing squad chose in the dossier room. Evolutions 7-10 will have the vehicle collect the discharged teammate only. Evolutions 11-13 will have 2 vehicles pull up to collect the discharged squad and evolutions 14 and 15 will have a vehicle that will collect the losing teammates from the championship squad until 2 are left.
When the new teammate enters the camp, he will immediately go to Rudy to report for duty. Rudy welcomes him and tells him which squad he is assigned to. Then the order to fall out is given which concludes the discharge ceremony and this officially ends each evolution.
Contestants
NameTeamBackground Notes Mark Jackson Alpha SWAT Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 12) Scott Oates Alpha Navy SEALs Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 12) Mell Spicer Alpha Navy SEALs Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 12) Daniel Patrick O'Shea Alpha Navy SEALs Voted Off (Evolution 7) No Replacement Frank Monestere Alpha Special Forces Voted Off (Evolution 6) Replaced by Eric Johnson Chris Pate Alpha SWAT Voted Off (Evolution 2) Replaced by Harald Zundel Harald Zundel Alpha Navy SEALs Replaced Pate (Evolution 2); Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 12) Eric Johnson Alpha Navy SEALs Replaced Monestere (Evolution 6); Voted Off (Evolution 9) No Replacement Dexter Fletcher Bravo SWAT Combat Missions Champion Jeff Byers Bravo Navy SEALs Third Place, lost the marksmanship challenge Steve Claggett Bravo SWAT Lost the three-on-three team challenge Mark Corwin Bravo Marine Force Recon Lost the three-on-three team challenge Bob Kain Bravo SWAT Second Place, lost against Fletcher Sean Sirker Bravo Special Forces Replaced Taylor (Evolution 8); Lost the three-on-three team challenge Jody Taylor Bravo SWAT Medical Discharge (Evolution 8) Replaced by Sean Sirker Cade Courtley Charlie Navy SEALs Replaced Potter (Evolution 4); Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 11) Ken Greaves Charlie Navy SEALs Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 11) Justin Young Charlie Marine Recon Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 11) Jeff Everage Charlie Navy SEALs Drew Red-Tipped Sword (Evolution 1) Replaced by Wilson Wong John Potter Charlie Navy SEALs Voted Off (Evolution 4) Replaced by Cade Courtley Edward Bugarin Charlie Special Forces, Delta Force Voted Off (Evolution 5) Replaced by Jonathan Weber Wilson Wong Charlie SWAT Replaced Everage (Evolution 1); Discharged Self (Evolution 8) No Replacement Ossie Crenshaw Charlie SWAT Voted Off (Evolution 10) No Replacement Jonathan Weber Charlie Marine Force Recon Replaced Bugarin (Evolution 5); Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 11) Baz Delta CIA/US Marines Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 13) George Ciganik Delta Marine Recon, SWAT Replaced Teeple (Evolution 3); Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 13) Scott Helvenston Delta Navy SEALs Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 13) Rodney Nutter Delta Marine Force Recon Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 13) John Winn Delta Marine Force Recon Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 13) William Nissen Delta Army Rangers Replaced Estadt (Evolution 12); Whole-Team Discharge (Evolution 13) Rod Teeple Delta Navy SEALs Discharged Self (Evolution 3) Replaced by George Ciganik Garth Estadt Delta Special Forces Medical Discharge (Evolution 12) Replaced by William Nissen
The following is a list of contestants from the "Dossier Room" who never got picked to play:
NameBackground John Barnes SWAT Carey Lasiter Delta Force Patrick Miller SWAT Benjamin Victor Marine Force Recon Keith Vinski Navy SEALs Howard Wasdin Navy SEALs
Round 1: Episodes 1-6
(Start of Round 1: Lose the mission, lose a man and proceed to the dossier room to replace him.)
Evolution 1: Tank Takeout
Bravo vs. Charlie
Prior to the competition, all squads underwent physical training. Started off with a 3-mile run, followed by a 2-lap rucksack run (50 pounds) around the base, and then as many pullups they can do.
Training Exercise: Log Carry From Hell (25 Bonus Points toward Mission)
Both teams must carry a 500-pound log around an obstacle course. Every 15 minutes, each team must drop a man. The first team to drop the log loses. Winner: Bravo
Mission: Tank Takeout
Objective is to destroy the tank with an explosive device. Both teams will be inserted via helicopter and make their way on foot to the tank and then plant the explosive device to destroy the tank. Surviving members will then make their way to the extraction point for helicopter extract.
Charlie got ambushed early but were able to fend off the initial assault with no casualties. As they got near the tank Young was killed when two shadow squad members emerged from a bunker. Krenshaw and Greaves were killed as they approached the tank but Everadge was able to take out the two members inside the tank. Everadge was then killed as he tried to approach the tank. Potter was then killed as he planted the explosive charges leaving Bugarin the lone survivor.
Early into the mission, Bravo lost one SEAL and one Marine but the remaining four SWAT cops on the team were able to complete the mission (notably Jody Taylor with 7 kills) despite the mission being SEAL in nature.
In the Dossier room, Charlie struggled to select a teammate to discharge prompting Rudy Boesch to issue them an ultimatum: Five minutes to choose a member to discharge or draw swords. Charlie eventually decided to draw swords resulting in Jeff Everage's discharge (ironically Everage was against drawing swords).
Teams Into Mission Dead (50 point penalty) Time (5 point penalty) Score Result Bravo 1025 -200 (4 dead) -175 (35 minutes) 650 WINNERS Charlie 1000 -250 (5 dead) -180 (36 minutes) 570 Lose Everage, gain Wong
Evolution 2: Tank Takeout
Alpha vs. Delta
Training Exercise: Helocasting (50 Bonus Points toward Mission)
The teams took turns jumping from a hovering helicopter into the water and swimming to shore. Winner: Alpha
Mission: Tank Takeout
Objective is to destroy the tank with an explosive device. Both teams will be inserted via helicopter and make their way on foot to the tank and then plant the explosive device to destroy the tank. Surviving members will then make their way to the extraction point for helicopter extract.
Rod Teeple (Team leader for Delta) advanced to the tank without the explosive charge and ignored pleas from his teammates to fall back as they have not yet cleared the tank. This led to two unnecessary deaths (Teeple and Winn).