Former Army Ranger and Air Force Pararescue expert Wil Willis was due to retire from active duty when he signed on to play a real-life Rambo in a new Military Channel series.
In each hourlong episode of Special Ops Mission, airing Thursdays beginning August 13, Willis is dropped into an area with a specific goal. He’s in contact with those who dropped him, but on the ground, he’s on his own. Like Les Stroud in Survivorman, he carries a camera to record his progress. To make things really difficult for him, a group of equally trained experts knows he is coming and intend to stop him.
If the first episode is any indication, there will be plenty of excitement in watching Willis and his opponents at work. Episodes have Willis and his opposition maneuvering in a city, in the mountains in winter, and in deserts. In each, they engage in fiercely realistic gun battles.
Though he was filming the series at the time I caught up with him, Willis did take the time to answer a few questions about it.
How did you get involved with “Special Ops Mission” and how was the search team chosen?
Wil Willis: I answered an ad that was sent out to the Pararescue Association. My hitch was just about up in the Air Force and I thought it sounded like fun. It was the first time I’ve ever been in a TV show like this. How did the search teams get chosen? One by one! I honestly do not know the procedures that went into selection of the teams. It was kept a secret from me, but I do know [that] they found some real good “operators”: Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and Marine Recon guys — the best of the best — including guys who just got back from doing duty in places like Iraq or Afghanistan.
I have a feeling that this is the way things are really done, so how close to reality are these missions?
The missions themselves are relatively realistic in their objectives, and some are even based on real world missions of the past; however, on our series I’m performing solo missions. Normally a team of guys would execute these missions, but what fun is that? The only military mission that is executed solo is an evasion. That’s an isolated person making his way back to friendly lines, but even that is a heavily supported rescue effort. The producers thought that by having four, five or six guys against one, it would make the missions really challenging for me — and they were right!
Where were some of the filming spots?
We wanted to present a wide variety of missions that would take place in very different settings and climates. We did a very exciting mission set in an urban environment and one in the mountains in about 5 feet of snow. We basically filmed from coast to coast, but I don’t want to give away too much here. Every show is different and had its own challenges.
What are the hardest places to complete a mission?
Every environment has unique challenges and quirks. None is harder or easier than the next; I just have to approach them with respect for their peculiarities.
What were some of your worst moments?
When the “OP-FOR”, or the “Opposing Force” is absolutely relentless with a never-ending search for me, it’s suffocating. Sometimes I can’t move or make a sound for a very long time. It’s a claustrophobic feeling that I have to control — and react appropriately to.
In the shootouts, how do people know they have been hit and can’t fight any longer?
We use Simunitions, which provide the most realistic firearms training imaginable. It is typically only made available for the training of elite law enforcement and military units. We’re the first TV show to ever be allowed to use it. It provides a degree of realism you can’t get through any other type of simulation (such as paint balls or laser tag) because it can be adapted to whatever real firearm one prefers — M4, M-16, AK-47, 9mm pistols, etc. These Simunitions are bullets with a capsule on the end with a stain in it that leaves a red or blue mark when it hits. And boy does it sting! When you get hit, you know it, and per the game, must yell out “I’m hit” or “I’m down.” A hit in the abdomen equals death, while hits to the arm or leg mean you’re wounded and you must lay down and can’t fight.
And one more thing that makes the Simunitions the best way to do combat mission simulations is that the range of the Simunition rounds is more similar to real ammo as opposed to paint balls, plus Simunitions are not blocked by leaves or branches like a laser target, which makes our missions more like the real world.
What do you think is the reason shows like this are so popular today?
Great question! Though I certainly don’t pretend to be a media expert, I think viewers like reality or real-life shows because it’s the closest some may ever get to experiencing what it’s like to be a cop chasing a bad guy or firemen entering a burning building. Since it’s unlikely that cameras will ever be allowed to film an actual special ops mission, our goal is to give viewers the most realistic taste of what it’s really like to be on a covert military mission.
Photos: Discovery Communications, LLC