A proud Marine Corps Veteran, Reynaldo Leal deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines to the Al Anbar Province in 2004 and 2006. There, he took part in some of the heaviest fighting during Operation Phantom Fury and was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device for actions in Fallujah.
After his service, Reynaldo attended the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on the G.I. Bill for his degrees in Environmental Science and Mass Communications. He now lives in South Texas, and is committed to telling the stories of the community there.
He is a 2023 Slamdance Screenwriting Competition finalist, and a 2024 WGF Veterans Writing Program mentee.