Employers Far From Showbiz Can Help Veterans By Copying Jon Stewart

On Monday, The New York Times revealed that over the last few years, "The Daily Show" has been quietly running a program aimed at boosting veterans with film and television ambitions.

A request for Stewart to mentor a veteran sparked the idea for the Veteran Immersion Program, "Daily Show" senior coordinating producer Elise Terrell told The Huffington Post on Wednesday. Terrell and production manager Camille Hebert are the chief architects of the program and have been involved since its beginning in 2013.

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Rebecca Murga
Programs Help Veterans Trade Boots for Movie Cams

Rebecca Murga always dreamed of working in Hollywood. But “when you’re poor and Puerto Rican, you don’t become a director,” she says. So Ms. Murga joined the military instead.

She was deployed in 2007, and served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Murga is still an Army Reserve captain. But in addition to her military service, she’s recently become the first member of the military to be accepted into the American Film Institute Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women.

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Rebecca Murga
Military bonds cross over from the front lines to the film set (Photos)

In an industry where who you know matters, competition for jobs in Hollywood can be cutthroat. That's been the case for many military vets trying to make it in entertainment. But things may be changing.Veterans who've already gained a toehold in the biz are helping newcomers break in. The rest of the industry may be following suit.    

In downtown Los Angeles, on the set for a racy hip-hop video, Paquita Hughes has her work cut out for her. The shoot is running behind schedule and it's Hughes' job as assistant director to rush the lingerie-clad models out of wardrobe and to the set downstairs.  

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Rebecca Murga
NPR 89.3 KPCC STORY "MILITARY VETERANS JOIN FORCES TO TAKE ON HOLLYWOOD."

It's another night in Hollywood. Another networking event. But this is not your typical club.

Framed photos of military veterans line walls draped with patriotic bunting.

This is the basement of American Legion Post 43, just several blocks away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And it's here where casting agents and studio executives mingle with more than 100 veterans looking for their big break.

"This is a roomful of shakers and movers," said Skye Marshall, a former Air Force medic who moved to Los Angeles to act. "I'm here to shake hands and kiss babies."

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Rebecca Murga