Stand Up for Heroes: Staff Sgt. Works With Tom Hanks

More than 200000. Troops are expected to retire from the military this year and when they come home. They face another kind of battle breaking in to a new career many are simply looking for a helping... See More

More than 200000. Troops are expected to retire from the military this year and when they come home. They face another kind of battle breaking in to a new career many are simply looking for a helping hand and when one soldier with Hollywood aspirations went looking for a mentor. He never dreamed who would answer here's ABC's Bob Woodruff. Gabriel proposing is about to get the biggest surprise of his life. He is a 32 year old staff sergeant in the army just back from eleven months in Afghanistan. Now along with more than 200000. Veterans leaving the military this year alone is looking for a new career. Gabriel -- applied for a mentored through a group called American corporate partners ACP. What he doesn't know yet is that his mentor is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. What would be your dream -- now that you are going into this world. In the US you've been away from the last nine years and should serving a Jayme -- raped four. Television from. Have you done that before he -- some film were or television work I have no formal training this is purely a -- yes so. -- better help him reach that dream job and Tom Hanks. Some of Hanks best known roles in the films he made about war florist com. And Saving Private Ryan. Hanks is a longstanding advocate. Veterans affairs. When -- -- kid you think about the military yes because I lived in Alameda California during the Vietnam War. Alameda with a naval air station is I'm gonna say 0988% of my friends had their fathers. We're serving overseas so the military -- fabric a life. To control his expectations. And tell Gabriel that is Mansur is not really a well known person in the industry. -- -- There I'm gonna show you that says I think you'll be very happy. No. -- out. No way it -- -- -- All right so -- they -- benefit to -- you -- -- for the first time on our drive over Gabriel gets his thoughts and questions together. Before his big meeting with a Hollywood legend. What will be the number one thing you would tell again real about getting into the film OK you have got to say I know who I am I know in my skills are. And I'm in this for I'm in this for the long haul perseverance it all comes down to -- -- -- -- The -- pleasure guys please call click. To begin their meeting Tom Hanks serves Gabriel from teapot straight off the sets of the Da Vinci -- and Charlie Wilson's war. When you first started. Did you envision yourself to be we are now and I did not think I'd be weird I'd be able to do this it. Starting out I just wanted to have the job I just wanted to have the fun of performance -- -- takes a failure. While working in how did you deal with the volume Pulitzer writer you're gonna write things that no one is going to get no one is going to understand and you cannot let that get that you weight whatsoever I've made films that haven't done any business without a doubt. That doesn't mean that I haven't learned something from doing that in that also doesn't mean that that individual project is not going to have a life long after what -- Done Gabriel is one of 16100 men tease and ACP's program is this type of stuff you're -- Mr. -- has not about giving him job it is really just to give him some guidance. Meeting and was was. At first don't think it is inspired me and I guess has been energized me who what what lies ahead. Gabriel says he will move in February from his home in Philadelphia to the sunshine of LA. A brand new dream and a long way from Afghanistan. For Nightline I'm Bob Woodruff in Los Angeles. You can see more of standing up for heroes and our entire five part series -- Tom Hanks and abcnews.com. Slash heroes.