Jake Gyllenhaal, Who Plays a Soldier in 'The Covenant,' Meets with 'Real-Life Heroes' for USO Event

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim, costars of The Covenant, arrived at Fort Irwin in a Black Hawk helicopter

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim team up in the new film The Covenant, a fictional story about an American soldier and his Afghan interpreter. On April 14, the pair went to an Army base to screen the movie — and to learn from real-life solders.

The event, which was hosted by the United Service Organizations (USO) at California's Fort Irwin, began with a grand entrance from the stars, who arrived via Black Hawk helicopter. Once there, Gyllenhaal and Salim met with service members and toured the U.S. Army's National Training Center on the installation.

"I am honored and incredibly grateful to have visited the real-life heroic men and women at Fort Irwin and witness firsthand their unparalleled training facility, equipment and dedication as they ensure our freedom," Gyllenhaal, 42, said in a USO press release.

Related:USO Celebrates 80th Anniversary After Humble Beginnings During World War II

In The Covenant, directed by Guy Ritchie, Gyllenhaal plays a soldier whose life is saved by his interpreter, played by Salim. Gyllenhaal's character later learns that Salim's character isn't given safe passage to America as promised — compelling Gyllenhaal's character to return to the war zone to repay his debt, all with the Taliban chasing them down.

Said Salim in the USO release, "It was a huge pleasure and learning experience meeting the service men and women and seeing firsthand the unique and impressive scope of Fort Irwin."

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The visit by Gyllenhaal and Salim also featured a virtual meetup with American service members stationed throughout the globe, including in Okinawa, Japan. The meetup was joined by a surprise third guest — Jimmy Kimmel, who popped onto the screen and exchanged jokes with the actors and the service members.

Gyllenhaal is no stranger to portraying soldiers, having starred in Jarhead, a 2003 movie about the Iraq War, and Brothers, a 2009 film about the War in Afghanistan.

"I played a young guy [in Jarhead] who was trying to figure out his way, so it's a very different thing than playing a special-ops guy who's had years of experience and is wizened by so many things," Gyllenhaal told the service members in the virtual meetup. "The choices that my character makes in this movie are based on all the years he served."

The USO was founded in 1941 when six civilian organizations pooled their resources to entertain the troops during World War II. Bob Hope performances became a staple, and since then the organization has grown and evolved into an unwavering source of support for deployed service members.

The Covenant was originally titled The Interpreter, but Ritchie, 54, revealed why the title had changed at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this past December.

Related:USO Helped Feed National Guard Troops Deployed to D.C. for Inauguration

"Names, as it transpires, is about the most challenging aspect of filmmaking," the director told Variety. "The last few films I've done, the trickiest decision to make has been the name of the movie. As of today, it's called The Covenant."

The Covenant — also starring Alexander Ludwig, Antony Starr, Bobby Schofield and Jonny Lee Miller — is in theaters now.

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