CMT Hot 20 Countdown‘s two-part special documenting the show’s first military entertainment trip overseas to Naval Support Activity Bahrain wraps Saturday (Dec. 24) at 9 a.m. ET/PT.
The all-new episode has military personnel from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard taking over the countdown with personal music video requests dedicated to family and friends back home for the holidays.
From Toby Keith’s “American Soldier” to Reba McEntire’s “Fancy” and Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.,” the video requests span a catalogue of country’s biggest hits.
The first part, the Hot 20 Video of the Year Countdown, aired Dec. 17 with the performance premiere of Big & Rich’s new song “For the Party” in front of a small group of sailors at guard mount, where they prepare for a 12-hour shift protecting the base. Additional footage included a performance of their hit “Comin’ to Your City” from a full concert for thousands of service members on base.
Host Cody Alan also performed intense fitness drills with soldiers and sat down with a Naval Support Activity officer to discuss the importance of the base in that region. NSA Bahrain is home to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and U.S. 5th Fleet.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, roughly 220,000 American service members served overseas to protect our country during the 2015 holiday season.
