CSI: NY's Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band to Rock Out with Troops on Five
Stateside USO Tours
Actor Kicks Off Three-Month Tour with a Stop at Ellsworth Air Force Base in
South Dakota
ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Award-winning actor,
director and producer Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band will perform a free,
private concert for U.S. troops and their families stationed at Ellsworth Air
Force Base in South Dakota as part of a USO entertainment tour February 1.
Sponsored by TriWest Healthcare Alliance, a Phoenix-based corporation that
provides access to quality health care for millions of America's military
families, this tour will mark the 26th USO tour for Sinise. During the tour,
Sinise and members of his band will perform troop favorites, sign autographs
and shake hands with hundreds of Airmen.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031119/USO )
The first of a series of stateside USO tours, Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, an
11-member cover band named after a character Sinise portrayed in 1994's
"Forrest Gump," will make four additional stops at military installations
throughout the next three months. Guaranteed to be a hit among those in the
U.S. armed forces, Sinise and his band have regularly rocked out with troops
around the world. Upcoming USO tour dates are:
February 29th
Camp Pendleton, California
March 16th
MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, California
March 27th
Ft. Campbell, Kentucky
April 18th
Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri
"This is what life is all about, entertaining our men and women in uniform,
bringing smiles to their faces and giving back to those that sacrifice and
risk their lives for us," said Sinise. "We love performing for them. It's
special to each of us and we're honored to work with the USO."
A staple in USO entertainment, Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band have demonstrated
their gratitude and commitment to America's service men and women for many
years. Whether embarking on a USO tour to entertain troops, visiting with
wounded warriors or supporting veteran's organizations, their patriotism is
never-ending. Among the first group of celebrities to embark on a USO tour to
Baghdad in 2003, Sinise has continued to tour with the USO. During many of
his USO tours abroad, he has performed with the Lt. Dan Band and entertained
troops in Singapore, South Korea, Germany, the UK and Belgium.
"Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band share the TriWest spirit and dedication to
supporting America's military families," said TriWest President and CEO Dave
McIntyre, Jr. "Shows like this provide a fun and much needed outlet for the
military community, which is sacrificing so much to preserve America's
freedom."
Known to millions as Det. Mac Taylor in CBS' successful series "CSI: NY,"
Sinise is an accomplished theater, film and television actor. He received an
Academy Award nomination for his work in "Forrest Gump," a Golden Globe for
his role in "Truman," and an Emmy Award for his portrayal in "George Wallace."
Having worked in the industry for more than two decades, he has starred in
more than 20 blockbuster films and earned the reputation of being one of
America's most versatile actors. He was last seen on the big screen in
Columbia Pictures' "The Forgotten" with Julianne Moore, "The Human Stain,"
opposite Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman and Ed Harris, and Sony's animated
feature "Open Season."
Formed in 2003, the Lt. Dan Band was created by Sinise and Chicago
composer/Vietnam veteran Kimo Williams. Hailed by its fans as the band for
music lovers, the group's sound is described as musically diverse and
reflective of each band member's passion, energy and love for music. Covering
everything from Bruce Springsteen and Linkin Park to Aretha Franklin and Jimmy
Hendrix, the band seamlessly fuses instruments like the violin, trumpet,
saxophone and drums. The Lt. Dan Band is also committed to supporting the
U.S. military.
For more than 66 years, the USO's mission has remained the same: to support
U.S. troops and their families wherever they serve - until every one comes
home. Carrying on this tradition, the USO produced 70 entertainment tours in
2007, both stateside and overseas, to boost morale and ensure service members
that America cares about them.
AT&T, Inc. is the official telecommunications sponsor of USO entertainment
tours. For a list of recent and upcoming USO tours, visit
http://www.uso.org/whatwedo/entertainment. To learn more about the USO or to
find out how to support the troops, visit http://www.uso.org.
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About the USO
For more than 66 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been
providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel
and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying
on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services.
The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems
North America, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, DRS
Technologies, Inc. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors,
including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have
joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more
information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org.
About TriWest
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix-based corporation that partners with
the Department of Defense to provide access to cost-effective, high-quality
health care for 2.7 million members of America's military family in the
21-state TRICARE West Region, which is comprised of Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota,
Utah, Washington, Wyoming and western Texas. For more information, visit
http://www.triwest.com.
CONTACT: Oname Thompson, (703) 908-6471
othompson@uso.org
Elizabeth Perrine, (602) 644-8356
eprrine@triwest.com
SOURCE USO
Oname Thompson of the USO, +1-703-908-6471, othompson@uso.org; or Elizabeth
Perrine of TriWest Health Care Alliance, +1-602-644-8356,
eperrine@triwest.com
