The Stars Align for Stars4TAPS: TAPS’ Network of Support at Paramount and CBS

Everyone at TAPS carries a story — one of love, and of loss — that lives on each time we share it, each time we say their names. In the ongoing Stars4TAPS story, 2025 will forever be a stand-out chapter, one that came together during a heartfelt TAPS cameo on the NCIS holiday episode, “Heaven and Nature,” which aired on Dec. 16, 2025.

But, like most memories and midseason finales, though, the story goes back further than that. 

Stars4TAPS, a part of TAPS Sports and Entertainment, launched in 2017 to connect the TAPS community with titles and entertainers from film, television, stage, and song that hold a special connection to the heroes we lost. In the last 12 years, the Sports and Entertainment team has partnered with members of these two industries to create moments of connection, recognition, and joy for surviving families. 

Humble Beginnings
In the early days, Stars4TAPS welcomed survivors to Los Angeles for immersive experiences at theme parks and set visits. It was on one of these visits to the SEAL Team set that TAPS connected with Toni Trucks. Known for her role on the series and for her advocacy through the Paramount Veterans Network, Trucks helped strengthen TAPS’ relationship with Paramount and CBS. Our shared commitment to families of the fallen deepened that bond, and today, Trucks proudly serves on the TAPS Honorary Board. 

As relationships with Paramount and CBS grew and our mission was shared, new, exciting opportunities opened up for the TAPS Family. The set visits continued, and, moved by our stories, new supporters joined us along the way. Over the years, our families have also attended movie and television screenings and enjoyed a Paramount Pictures studio tour. During the pandemic, surviving children enjoyed a virtual drawing session with SpongeBob Squarepants animators. TAPS Young Adults and surviving families have also gone behind the scenes at CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings, offering rare, firsthand glimpses into the stories that shape our national conversations — giving names and faces to survivors and the fallen. 

It Was an Honor
Last year, TAPS received an exciting invitation from the Paramount Veterans Network that resulted in TAPS being one of two charities chosen to participate in the fall 2025 Tuesdays of Honor campaign presented by CBS, NCIS, and Lovesac in partnership with VIZIO. The campaign was a way to bring true stories of service and sacrifice to a national audience, and over the course of five weeks, five TAPS families told their stories of love, loss, and legacy.

The chance to bring the stories of military service members, veterans, fallen heroes, and their families to living rooms around the country during the all-NCIS primetime lineup was not only a chance to share what TAPS does, but also the impactful stories at the heart of our mission.  

The Power of Connection
Meanwhile, NCIS Executive Producer and Writer Scott Williams was working on the show’s midseason finale. Rather than create a fictional charity for the storyline, he recalled a TAPS connection he’d made years ago on a set visit. He reached out with a simple yet powerful question: Was TAPS willing to be featured in the episode?  
If you caught the episode — at home or at one of the many watch parties nationwide — you already know the answer was yes. 

Despite additional approvals and coordination, every effort was made to create a moment that felt authentic and meaningful, not only to the survivors whose heroes were represented through TAPS photo buttons, but to the many survivors watching the episode on screen. The easily recognizable TAPS shirts, photo buttons, and paddle fans sparked pride and connection throughout the TAPS Family. 

For this on-camera moment and the many people behind the scenes who, over the years, have consistently created magical moments with care for our families — for those who pause to listen to a hero’s story and witness a survivor’s grief — Stars4TAPS is deeply grateful.

With the ongoing support of partners, like Paramount, CBS, and NCIS, we will continue to reach for the stars — creating opportunities for the TAPS Family to be seen, heard, and honored as they share their powerful stories.

PHOTOS: CBS; Paramount; NCIS