James D. Dever

James D. Dever was born in 1955 and grew up in East Meadow, New York, where he chopped bicycles and worked at his uncle's pool installation business to help his single mother make ends meet. After seeing The Sands of Iwo Jima on Channel 9's "Million Dollar Movie" at age 10, he decided to join the Marine Corps-- enlisting at Levittown, Long Island in 1973. His 25-year career in the Corps took him from the South China Sea-- where he participated in the evacuation of Saigon/Phnom Penh-- to the deserts of Kuwait as a senior staff non-commissioned officer with the 1st Marine Division during Operation Desert Storm.

The majority of Sergeant Major Dever's career, however, was spent in the Marine Corps reconnaissance community. During this time he had the opportunity to graduate USMC Amphibious Reconnaissance School; U.S. Navy Field Medical School; U.S. Army Ranger School; U.S. Navy SCUBA School; USMC Combatant Diver (Drager LAR-V re-breather); U.S. Army Airborne School; USMC Scout Sniper School; FBI Quick Reaction Crisis Mission Course; CIA Demolition Course; U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course; U.S. Army Survival Evasion Resistance & Escape Instructor School; U.S. Navy Dive Supervisor Course; USMC Mountain Warfare Leaders Course; Institute of Advanced Weapons craft; Bill Scott Raceway Security and Anti-terror Driving Instructor Course; Mid-South Institute Advanced Pistol, Sub machine gun, & Shotgun Course; FBI Hostage Rescue Tactics Course; U.S. Army Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance Target Analysis & Exploitation Course; Bill Scott Raceway Shooting Instructor Course; and the U.S. Army Military Freefall School... among others.

Sergeant Major Dever's career took a notable turn in 1986 when the Marine Corps handpicked him to advise director Clint Eastwood on the film "Heartbreak Ridge". During production Dever gained a deep appreciation for the filmmakers and the creative process, and soon began to develop a business plan that would bring his own unique approach and experience to the entertainment industry.

In 1998 Sergeant Major Dever retired from the Marine Corps and started 1 Force, Inc., a full-spectrum technical consulting firm proving cradle-to-screen advisory and training services for the entertainment and gaming industry. To-date, Dever and his team of military and law-enforcement professionals have contributed to more than 115 projects worldwide and continue to set the standard for technical consulting in Hollywood.