Nellis commander to appear on 'Jeopardy!'

  • Published
  • By Maj. Veronica Kemeny
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
The answer: This commander from Nellis Air Force Base hopes to exhibit a high-flying level of knowledge on one of America's favorite quiz shows.

"Who is Col. Dave Belote?" would be the proper response, as the 99th Air Base Wing commander appeared on "Jeopardy!" that will air Dec. 2.

Appearing on the game show has been a lifelong dream for Colonel Belote.

"I've wanted to be on the show for at least 20 years," Colonel Belote said. "I've tried sending postcards any time the show did a contestant search nearby. I took the online test the last two years, and it made it a lot easier to get invited for a contestant audition."

No studying was required for Colonel Belote. He brought his "life knowledge" to the show.

"There has been no time for any kind of studying, other than watching the occasional 'Jeopardy!' episode," Colonel Belote said. "My best subjects are history, government and world events."

The colonel said he's excited to represent the Air Force and hopes to win some money for his retirement fund and future sailboat.

"Everybody who gets to this point is going to be good," Colonel Belote said. "I hope to catch a couple of breaks. I'm fired up! I want to have fun and maybe win enough money to take the family someplace tropical and exotic. I'd rather be lucky than good any day, and I have a mind for trivia, so hold on for a great ride!"

"Jeopardy!" has been on the air for 26 years. More than 5,800 episodes have aired to date, and the show has 12 million daily viewers.