Jon Stewart: Here's how he's taking 'concrete action' to aid veterans
'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart recently revealed that he runs a boot camp for veterans who want to get involved in TV.
'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart recently revealed that he runs a boot camp for veterans who want to get involved in TV.
The public recently learned about a boot camp where military veterans interested in the TV business have he opportunity to learn more and perhaps get a job in the industry.
The person heading up the camp? None other than 鈥淭he Daily Show鈥 host Jon Stewart.
According to the New York Times, Stewart, who has hosted the Comedy Central program since 1999 and recently announced he will be leaving the post this August, runs a camp that runs for five weeks and works to give veterans opportunities in television.聽
Stewart is speaking about the program now because of his upcoming 鈥淒aily Show鈥 departure, according to the NYT, but the host has worked on the camp for the last few years.聽
鈥淭his is ready to franchise. Please steal our idea,鈥 Stewart told the NYT. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 charity. To be good in this business you have to bring in different voices from different places, and we have this wealth of experience that just wasn鈥檛 being tapped.鈥
Veteran Nathan Witmer, who took part in the camp and has since had jobs at Fox News and 鈥淭he Daily Show,鈥 said of the experience in an interview with the NYT, 鈥淚t was actually inspirational. We hear 鈥楾hank you for your service鈥 all the time, but here was concrete action, people working to really make a difference. And it changed lives. I鈥檓 proof of that.鈥澛
Those who watch Stewart鈥檚 program know that he was not a proponent of US military involvement in Iraq. But the host has also performed for troops in Afghanistan and visited hospitals where soldiers were recovering.
鈥淚 knew I had very strong opinions about what we were doing over there, and I wanted to visit the individuals who were part of the effort to gain a perspective on it,鈥 Stewart told the NYT.聽
Stephen Colbert, former host of the Comedy Central program 鈥淭he Colbert Report鈥 聽and future CBS "Late Show" host, has also embarked on efforts to support soldiers. Colbert traveled to Iraq in 2009 to tape 鈥淩eport鈥 there, and according to the Associated Press, Colbert has raised funds for charities that take care of veterans. While in Iraq, Colbert cracked many jokes about the war 鈥 he called Iraq 鈥渁 country so nice we invaded twice,鈥 according to the Huffington Post 鈥 but he also cited his support for the troops as a reason for the visit. 鈥淪ometimes my character [which he plays on 鈥楾he Colbert Report鈥橾 and I agree," Colbert told the AP at the time.聽"My character and I both know the Apostles' Creed and my character and I both think it's a shame that we're not talking about the troops anymore... I don't want to forget that people are struggling through the things that I sometimes make jokes about.鈥
In a 2011 interview with聽PBS, Major P.K. Ewing of the Marine Corps also stated that action, like that which Stewart is taking, is what people need to do when it comes to helping veterans.聽
鈥淥ftentimes, the only acknowledgment I get is somebody handing me a handshake and saying, 鈥楾hank you for your service,鈥欌 Ewing said. 鈥淎nd I personally feel, if you are really grateful, go do something for a vet. Go volunteer for a charity. Go start one. Go help in some capacity.鈥澛