CSI: NY's Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band to Rock Out with Troops on Five Stateside USO Tours

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

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Photo:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031119/USO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: USO

CONTACT: 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

Web Site:

http://www.triwest.com/
http://www.uso.org/

Company News On-Call:

http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/908313.html

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