Adam Driver

Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Adam Driver joined the Marines and was assigned to Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines as an 81mm mortar man. He served for two years and eight months before dislocating his sternum while mountain biking and being medically discharged with the rank of Lance Corporal. He then attended the University of Indianapolis for a year before auditioning again for Juilliard. Driver said that his classmates saw him as an intimidating and volatile figure, and he struggled to fit into a lifestyle so different from the Marines. He founded Arts in the Armed Forces (AITAF), which serves all branches of the Military at US installations domestically and abroad. They choose content that features diverse themes, ages, ethnicities and experiences to create a complex and unique experience for their audiences. Importantly, after each of AITAF’s events, the artists interact with the audience through a question and answer session. AITAF’s goal is not simply to provide an enjoyable evening, but to use the powerfully emotional shared experience of the arts to start conversations capable of bridging the divides between Military and civilian, Service Member and family member, the world of the arts and the world of practical action.