NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 6, 2025 / Paramount
Veterans behind the scenes
A streaming hit on Paramount+, "SEAL Team" committed to unwavering authenticity as it followed the fictional Bravo Team of U.S. Navy SEALs. From star David Boreanaz wearing an actual SEAL's helmet on screen to the numerous military veterans in the cast and crew, the series strove for realism in every detail during its recently ended seven-season run.
Dedication to on-screen authenticity is only one aspect that the Veteran Immersion Program, created by the Paramount Veterans Network in 2020 to guide and support veterans in the media industry, brings to the table.
While offering hands-on experience and the opportunity to network with the best in the business, this unique program supports a culture of camaraderie infused with mentorship, career counseling, skills development and job readiness.
"We identify skill sets in each of our participants, and then we grow that skill set," said Betty Diaz, director of programs and operations for Paramount Veterans Network. With an uncle who served in the Marine Corps and a cousin who was wounded in the Army, Diaz has seen the importance of giving back to those who have served.
"We've had veterans come into communications, animation, editing, event planning, event coordination, corporate responsibility, info security and tech. There's a plethora of opportunities."
These opportunities are often necessary for veterans, who have contributed some of their prime learning years to military service.
"Getting into media is very challenging," Diaz continued. "For the military, as they're getting out and transitioning, there are not a lot of open doors. It's important for us to open these doors of opportunities for veterans to work in media."
"This industry is a dog-eat-dog world," said Torrin Fields, a senior postproduction editor at Paramount. "You feel alone; you feel isolated."
Fields joined the Army as a military police officer in 2001, shortly after 9/11. Between 2002 and 2005, he deployed twice to Iraq, serving in a reconnaissance role both times.
The shared responsibility and mission of these deployments ultimately shaped how Fields views the world.
"The military gave me the opportunity to understand how to be a leader, a team player and also resilient," Fields said. "Before I joined the military, I just cared about myself."
But with service comes risk. Due to an injury he received in Iraq, Fields temporarily lost his ability to walk. He was medically discharged in 2005.
"I sacrificed my body," Fields explained. "To this day, I have complications. I sometimes use a cane to walk. I can't stand for longer than 30 minutes. The injury really did impact my physical ability."
Fields moved to Los Angeles to begin working in the media field. He quickly found that the civilian workplace did not resemble the team environment he had experienced in the Army. "It was very difficult to find a team. You find a lot of individualistic behavior outside of the military," Fields said.
When he learned about the Veteran Immersion Program, which was recruiting for its inaugural session, he knew he wanted to participate. Through courses and individual mentorship, he learned skills like public speaking, corporate leadership and networking, eventually landing his current role. However, for Fields, the best part of the program was finally finding his team.
"This program is about camaraderie, family. I always felt like they had my back," Fields said. "They were always championing me."
In 2023 and 2024, Paramount Veterans Network (and the immersion program) was recognized as a DAV Patriot Employer for its dedication to the military community. The organization was also a featured employer at the DAV Job Fair that occurred at the 2023 Military Veterans in Journalism conference.
"Paramount's program not only provides valuable employment and job training opportunities for veterans but also brings authenticity to programming-a service to the nation as the veteran population continues to shrink," said Lamarr Couser, employment director at DAV. "Ensuring that real veteran perspectives are represented in media helps preserve their stories and contributions for future generations."
Joshua Reyes can attest to the life-changing impacts of the Veteran Immersion Program. Now a sales associate for Paramount Global, Reyes grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough of New York City with his mother and three siblings. Determined to break the cycle of poverty, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.
"It really gave me a foundation and structure that I needed at the time," he said. He built a wide range of skills as an aviation ordnance technician and martial arts instructor.
"I learned values like honor, courage, commitment and service-all these things that I didn't learn growing up," he said.
But then an accident during an instructor training course changed the trajectory of his life.
Reyes' back was broken, and doctors said he would never walk again. Refusing to accept that as his fate, he battled every day toward recovery. After a year of rehab in the Wounded Warrior Battalion, Reyes made a 95% recovery, including the use of his legs. But he was still medically discharged from service.
"I was going to be a lifer," Reyes said. "My identity was so attached to the Marine Corps. Once you get out, you don't have that support system. I struggled for a long time."
He studied international business and acting in school, looking for direction and spark. Then he heard about the Veteran Immersion Program, which would offer the flexibility to pursue both his "passion and survival."
He wasn't expecting how therapeutic it would feel to immerse himself in other people's stories through acting.
"You're taught to really peel back the layers of your soul, your heart, and drop those walls. Acting has taught me to be comfortable with allowing myself to feel emotions of the character and portray those feelings freely," he said. "It's liberating."
The opportunities at Paramount are not just for fully transitioned veterans. National Guard and Reserve members also find a welcome home in the immersion program.
Chris Murray, an editor with Paramount Global, always had a camera in hand before joining the Air Force as a tactical aircraft maintenance technician. After four years on active duty, Murray was ready to pursue a degree in film and business.
But his military career wasn't over. He also joined the Air National Guard as a satellite operator for the Space Force.
Serving while trying to break into the film industry proved difficult.
"The hardest part is finding work that doesn't feel like you're underutilized or overqualified," Murray said. "You can be called up at any time to serve your country. In a competitive field, you can't afford to dip away for X amount of time."
The Veteran Immersion Program provided the solution he needed.
"Paramount goes that extra mile with their immersion program," Murray said. "You're temporarily employed under the Veterans Immersion Program in the entertainment industry, allowing you to make connections and bridge that gap along with a community of veterans who have made that transition right before you."
Those connections go a long way. "When you leave the service, you feel almost isolated," Murray said. "Being a part of this program, you still feel that connection."
Building camaraderie in a competitive field is an important aspect to the program, according to participants, but so is giving back to the military community.
"Being a DAV Patriot Employer is an opportunity," said Diaz. "This award acknowledges all the good work that we're doing. And we can do more. It's the gift that keeps on giving."
For Diaz, the mission is bigger than the program. "If I can show other media companies how to do this, I will," she stated. "I just want to see vets thrive."
