PROFILES FROM THE FRONT LINE," A NEW SIX-EPISODE PRIMETIME REALITY SERIES WHICH PUTS VIEWERS SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM, WILL PREMIERE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, ON THE ABC TELEVISION NETWORK
The Pentagon and Department of Defense Lent Their Full Support and Cooperation to This Unique Production by Jerry Bruckheimer and Bertram van Munster, Which Will Feature Compelling Personal Stories of America's Military Men and Women and The Elite U.S. Special Operations Forces
As America prepares for a possible war with Iraq, the country continues to wage a perilous war on terrorism. ABC will transport viewers to actual battlefields in central Asia with a six-episode series that will feature actual footage of the elite U.S. Special Operations forces apprehending possible terrorists, as well as compelling, personal stories of the U.S. military men and women who bear the burden and risks of this fighting. This new, one-hour primetime reality series -- "Profiles from the Front Line" -- which will bring home the danger faced every day by America's bravest in the war on terrorism, will premiere THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. The series will continue in the same time slot for the next five weeks, through April 3.
Jerry Bruckheimer ("Black Hawk Down," "Pearl Harbor," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), one of Hollywood's most successful producers, and Bertram van Munster ("The Amazing Race," "Wild Things") sent a team of award-winning producers and cameramen to the front lines of the war on terrorism to film these inspiring stories, putting faces on these unseen heroes.
(Editors please note: Photographs of Jerry Bruckheimer and Bertram van Munster are available on abcmedianet.)
"We spent several months with the U.S. Special Operations Forces," said van Munster, the series' creator and one of its executive producers. "Everyone... the military, my crews and I -- all at great personal risk -- have brought these compelling stories to television. 'Profiles from the Front Line' lifts the veil to uncompromisingly show how our servicemen and women are bravely carrying out their duties in contemporary battle missions."
At the forefront of this battle against terrorism are the elite U.S. Special Operations Forces operating in the Kabul, Bagram, Orgun and Kandahar regions of Afghanistan. Men of the 3rd and 19th (RC) Special Forces Groups, who are highly skilled in unconventional warfare, communications, intelligence and diplomacy, are profiled, as are men and women of the U.S. Armed Services who support them in their mission.
The series, which was produced with the full cooperation of the Pentagon and the Department of Defense, offers a greater perspective on who these patriots are, the risks they are taking, why they have committed themselves in defense of their country, and how that commitment has altered their lives and the lives of their families.
Among those men and women viewers will be introduced to are:
* Capt. Chris Cirino, company commander of 140 soldiers from the 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment from the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He dreamt of being a captain in the Army since he was a child.
* Sgt. 1st Class Danette Jones, who runs the food service operation on the Bagram Air Force Base, hails from Bronx, New York, and describes herself as the "intimidator" while serving hash and attitude to 3500 soldiers a day.
* Tech Sgt. Mel Baggs, a flight medic from Augusta, Georgia, joined the military to try her wings outside her hometown and now works on a plane that functions as a flying ambulance.
* Corporal Peter Sarvis, a one-time Army reservist and stock broker from New York, made a decision to return to the military a few days after 9/11, a choice his wife whole-heartedly supported. A "hot refueler" -- he refuels helicopters while they are still running -- he gladly traded his suit-and-tie existence for the extreme heat of the battlefield.
* Sgt. Elizabeth Gales from Seaside, California on the Monterey Peninsula, who has been in the militaryfor 16 years, is a nurse who also must assist in rebuilding a community and school in Afghanistan. She has two boys and two girls of her own.
* Major Gerard Curran, MD, is an emergency physician with the 44th Medical Brigade stationed on Bagram Air Force Base. In addition to providing care for 1,500-3,000 U.S. service members, he also works at a humanitarian aid clinic, seeing as many as 100 local villagers each day.
* Master Sgt. Mark, team leader of the 3rd Special Forces Group, is a gifted orator and negotiator. His team includes Staff Sgt. Mike, married with three children, who comes from a long, distinguished line of military men. His grandfather fought in World War II in the merchant marine and Navy and his ship was sunk in Pearl Harbor. Mike's father completed three tours of duty in Vietnam. Staff Sgt. Drew is married with four children. He moved from Australia to the U.S. ten years ago and believes in fighting for America because that is where his family lives.
* Major Randy of the 19th Special Forces Group, who has four children, ages 13 to 20, also has a grandfather from Afghanistan. Hunting down the Al Qaeda and Taliban forces is all in a day's work for this 21-year military veteran who served as an assistant police chief in a metropolitan department, as well as a SWAT team commander and an undercover narcotics cop.
"Profiles from the Front Line" primarily used footage shot by its renowned team of filmmakers, but also relied on materials provided by the Department of the Defense. When it was not possible, for reasons of national security, to accompany teams on certain operations, this unique coverage was matched up with those who took part to provide a more intimate account of those missions.
"Profiles from the Front Line" was created by Mr. van Munster. Mr. Bruckheimer, Mr. van Munster and Jonathan Littman (president, Jerry Bruckheimer Television) are the executive producers, and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Hume Kennerly is the co-executive producer. "Profiles from the Front Line" is a production of Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Profiles Television Productions LLC in association with Warner Bros. Television.
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