Sixteen of the country's toughest men and women will be split into four teams as they work together to face a variety of military-grade and survival-themed challenges. Cena and an elite group of mentors from the nation's most exclusive military units will push these civilians beyond their limits. The mentors, known as "The Cadre", include Rorke Denver, Noah Galloway, Tawanda "Tee" Hanible and Nick "The Reaper" Irving. These real-life heroes, who represent diverse backgrounds and top branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, will impart their first-hand knowledge and experience to help the competitors work together as teams to surmount near impossible mental and physical challenges. American Grit embodies the military ethos "no man left behind," because only the first team to complete the challenges together is safe from elimination. Each episode will culminate in "The Circus," a punishing, endurance-based obstacle course designed to break the weakest competitors. With up to a million dollars of prize money at stake, this is the ultimate test of strength, grit, the human spirit and most importantly, teamwork.