New Season of Military Channel's TRIGGERS to Premiere 2/13

Military Channel isn't letting the cool chill of winter dim its fires. Returning with a bang, the new season of Military Channel's TRIGGERS: WEAPONS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD premieres on Wednesday, February 13 at 10 PM (E/P). Hosted by former Army Ranger and Air Force Pararescueman Wil Willis, this cutting-edge series examines the evolution of military firearms and how the development of each one changed The Face of combat forever. With access to the top firearms collections in the world, Willis takes viewers on an all-inclusive look into each weapon as he thoroughly examines, tests, critiques and fires each one. In each episode of TRIGGERS, Willis is joined by historical and technical experts who provide personal insight on the weapon and what makes them unique from competitors in its class.

The premiere episode of TRIGGERS, Willis examines if the mighty M2 could be the greatest machine gun in history. Nicknamed the "Ma Deuce," this American machine gun has been rocking the battlefield for over 80 years. In this explosive hour, Willis puts the M2 in a head-to-head contest against international rival the Soviet DShK, and then joins former Marine firearms instructor Grant Reynolds in a long-range competition. Finally, Willis compares the classic M2 against its 21st Century version, the XM806, in an ultimate shootout.

Additional episodes this season include:

· Combat Shotguns Premieres February 20 at 10 PM Deadly at close quarters, a combat shotgun is a powerful tool of any army. In this episode, Willis fires history's greatest shotguns, from the Blunderbuss to the modern semi-auto Benelli M4 and the pump-action Mossberg 590. Rounding out the episode, Willis gets some shooting tips from two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Sgt. Vincent Hancock.

· Gatling and the A-10 Premieres February 27 at 10 PM The Aerial Gatling Gun has the highest rate of fire of any military machine gun in the world. Willis takes to the sky in an F16 to spray the 6,000 round a minute M61 "Vulcan," then lifts off in a helicopter to fire the GAU-2 Mini-Gun at 4,000 rounds a minute.

· Spec OPS Pistol Premieres March 6 at 10 PM For today's elite warriors, their last line of defense are the Spec Ops Pistols. Willis tests the Navy Seal Sig Sauer P226 then fires its forerunners like James Bond's Walther PPK, the Soviet Tokarev and the massive Desert Eagle. With 3-D graphics and weapons tests against ballistic gel torsos, this is the ultimate look at the Spec Ops Pistols.

· The Abrams Tank Premieres March 13 at 10 PM The M1 Abrams Tank is the world's most potent armored vehicle due to its reactive armor and stealth on the battlefield. This episode tracks the tank's development through such forerunners as the WWII-era M18 Hellcat and the Cold War-era Soviet T-55 tank. To see why these "beast-boxes" have ruled ground warfare for decades, Willis joins an Abrams crew in in their intense training.

· The SAW Season 2 Finale Premieres March 20 at 10 PM The SAW or "Squad Automatic Weapon" is the heavy hitter in U.S. infantry teams. Follow the explosive history of this revolutionary weapon that launched mobile warfare by blending massive firepower with the accuracy and portability of a rifle.

WIL WILLIS BIO

Previously host of Military Channel's hit series SPECIAL OPS MISSION, Wil Willis is a man whose vast array of military training and knowledge has earned him unparalleled tactical skill sets. Willis joined the Army 1993, and after completing basic training AIT and Basic Airborne School, he completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program (R.I.P.) and was assigned to a Co. 3d Battalion 75th Ranger Regt. Willis carried that post until June, 1998 when he cross-trained to the Air Force. After completing the Air Force Pararescue Pipeline, he was stationed at the 56th Rescue Squadron in Keflavik, Iceland as part of a ten-man Pararescue Team. In 2001, Willis received the Sirkorsky Rescue Award for actions leading to the squadrons 299th Rescue. In 2002, Willis was stationed at Kirtland, NM as an Instructor of Weapons, Tactics, and Air Operations. In August, 2007, he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves and was a Pararescueman with the 308th Rescue Squadron until August, 2008. Willis currently resides in California and teaches Tactical Combat Casualty Care to deploying military units.

TRIGGERS: WEAPONS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD is produced by MorningStar Entertainment for Military Channel. For MorningStar, Gary Tarpinian and Paninee Theeranuntawat are executive producers, and Gary Benthin and Andrew Nock are series producers. For Military Channel, Ron Simon is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president production, Ed Hersh is senior vice president content strategy and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

About Military Channel

The Military Channel brings viewers compelling, real-world stories of valor, heroism, and courage on the battlefield. It also goes back in time, telling the enduring stories of the people and events from the great turning points in history. Currently available in more than 60 million homes, the network takes viewers "behind the lines" to celebrate the personal stories of servicemen and women who defend freedom across the globe. As the only cable network devoted to the armed forces, the Military Channel incorporates the best state-of-the-art CGI animation and never-before-seen footage to offer in-depth explorations of military techniques, aviation technology and cutting-edge weaponry. For more information, please visit Military.Discovery.com, facebook.com/Military, or twitter.com/MilitaryChannel. Military Channel is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories.