How do you jazz up the standard golf fundraiser? Throw in some homemade bombs and a nuclear scare. When Lt. Col. Charles Musante was asked to put on a golf tournament to raise funds for the annual CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) Ball in October, he decided to rip out a page from the Spartan Run/Tough Mudder playbook, adding obstacles to spice up a traditional day on the course. The result: A nine-hole All Hazards Golf Tournament on Exton Golf Course at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, where 35 golfers on nine teams played through some CBRNE-inspired roadblocks. One hole…
Author Kevin Lilley
Liam Neeson’s Hollywood tough-guy bona fides already are beyond reproach: He’s been a Jedi master, he’s led the A-Team, he’s fought wolves, he even played an admiral in “Battleship” — the one where naval forces battled aliens and created collateral damage at movie box offices everywhere. According to multiple entertainment-news reports, Neeson will again portray a high-ranking officer, only he’ll switch services and step back into history, playing Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the South Korean-produced “Operation Chromite.” History buffs may recognize the title as the code name for the amphibious landing at Inchon in September 1950. The film reportedly will…
Celebrity pop quiz: What is actor/writer/producer/cult hero William Shatner’s middle name? A hint: If you’re a producer for “Range 15,” a veteran-made zombie-themed comedy that recently secured Shatner’s acting services, you’ve probably got it wrong. “Did you just say we got William ‘Star Trek’ ‘T.J. Hooker’ Priceline Negotiator Denny Crane Shatner?” Ranger Up CEO and former Army officer Nick Palmisciano asked in a very much not-safe-for-work video announcing the casting move. Mat Best, former Army Ranger and head of Article 15 Clothing, was a bit more succinct: “William F—ing Shatner?!” The video shows some “Range 15” team members shedding tears of…
A Silver Star recipient’s retelling of one of the Iraq War’s most critical battles will get the Hollywood treatment, but a Deadline.com report says it’ll be in good hands. Former Staff Sgt. David Bellavia’s “House to House,” a 2007 memoir centered on the fighting in Fallujah three years before, has been optioned by Universal Pictures, Deadline reported Tuesday. Former Army officer Max Adams, a U.S. Military Academy graduate who also saw combat in Iraq, will adapt the book for the big screen. Adams’ entertainment-industry experience includes writing and producing “Precious Cargo,” a thriller starring Bruce Willis set for a 2016 release,…
First, marvel at incoming CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert’s arm strength and levitation skills. Then, scroll down to learn more about what the comedian, and others, are up to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZgZx8dQvO8 Colbert, no stranger to acts of video lunacy for the benefit of service members, is the latest celebrity to participate in the #GiveThem20 Challenge, an attempt by the nonprofit American Corporate Partners to raise awareness of the challenges facing veterans as they return to civilian life. ACP mentors thousands of veterans making that transition and maintains various online resources that connect vets to support personnel and potential employers. Learn…
The zombies are screwed. Filming won’t begin until later this year for “Range 15,” the cinematic co-production of two veteran-owned apparel-makers that will feature stars from the companies’ viral-video hits battling undead hordes, but the producers have already concluded a successful crowd-funding campaign, more than doubling their initial goal with a take exceeding $813,000. The teams behind Ranger Up and Article 15 Clothing easily surpassed their $325,000 goal, but added new benchmarks and promised more monster-slaughtering firepower as the tote board kept rolling over. In addition to a bigger budget for ordnance and special effects, the film has expanded its military all-star…
Bradley Cooper played SEAL legend Chris Kyle in “American Sniper,” which drew critical acclaim and set box-office records. Then, he played a military contractor in “Aloha,” which didn’t. An upcoming military project could put Cooper back into uniform, only this time as a member of a real-life Army unit that aided the Allied push to Berlin at the close of World War II using deception that would make a Hollywood special-effects wizard blush. Deadline.com reported Monday that Cooper’s production company will team with Andrew Lazar, an “American Sniper” producer, to tell the story of 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, better known as…
It’s a fairly common occurrence in Army circles: A young hard-charger goes beyond the call of duty, receives an award several months later, credits his training, earns praise from a senior officer and smiles for a few photos. Usually, though, the awardee is at least old enough to drive. Jacob Staggs, 14, received a Certificate of Appreciation for Patriotic Civilian Service last month at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for keeping a level head in a situation that could’ve been disastrous: He and his father, Lt. Col, Robert Staggs, were hiking through the Dragoon Mountains in December when the officer cramped up…
Producer/director Peter Berg, the force behind two recent movies on far ends of the military spectrum — 2013’s “Lone Survivor” and 2012’s Battleship — will add to his in-uniform resume with an eight-part documentary series on special operators set for a fall debut on the History Channel. The series is among several debut projects for the newly launched Film 45, a documentary-focused studio Berg will operate alongside Film 44, which developed the “Friday Night Lights” TV series in addition to the above movies and other offerings. Similar to “Lone Survivor,” the new series will feature first-person accounts from special operators, supplemented…
A parent presiding over a child’s promotion ceremony is rare enough. Being able to arrange such an event in a war zone is verging on the impractical, but can happen. But organizing such a promotion, then following it up inside a year with the child promoting the parent? That makes you the leader in the family-friendly clubhouse, and that’s where you’ll find the Moon men, thanks to a May 15 ceremony in Aberdeen, North Carolina. There, 1st Lt. Steven B. Moon pinned O-6 insignia onto Col. Steven R. Moon, a reservist serving on…
