Photos: Toby Keith travels to Middle East on his 9th USO tour
Grammy-nominated entertainer Toby Keith proudly salutes the brave men and women who defend our country as part of a recent USO tour to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait on April 25. This is the Oklahoma music superstar's ninth USO tour. (USO Photos by Dave Gatley)
Oklahoma country music superstar Toby Keith is currently in Iraq, having returned to the Middle East last week on his ninth United Service Organization/Armed Forces Entertainment tour.
USO tour veteran Toby Keith poses for a photo with his crew on deck of The USS Enterprise on April 23.
Keith has traveled across the globe as a USO celebrity volunteer for nearly a decade, delivering smiles and a much-needed touch of home to troops and their families.
“Since my first tour, I’ve been hooked on performing for troops. I start looking forward to my next USO trip the minute I touch down here in the States. I love it and I love our troops, they are the best in the world,” Keith said in a news release.
Thus far on Keith’s 12-day, 3-country USO tour, he has lifted the spirits of more than 9,900 service members in the Middle East. Among the places visited were the USS Enterprise CVN-65 and the USS Leyte Gulf CG-55.
Since his first USO tour in 2002, the Norman resident has traveled to 11 countries and participated in eight USO tours. He has lifted the spirits of troops and their families stationed in Africa, Belgium, Cuba, Germany, Italy, Korea, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and Macedonia, as well as those U.S. troops on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq – many of whom were serving at small remote forward operating bases.
In recognition of his ongoing support for U.S. troops and their families, Keith was presented the 2009 Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Distinguished Service Award.
In 2007, while visiting troops in Afghanistan, Keith recognized the need to deliver the small comforts of home to service members stationed in remote locations. His idea later became known as the “USO2GO” program – a USO program that sends much needed electronics, entertainment and personal care items to troops in the field. To date, USO2GO bundles have been delivered to more than 500 remote forward operating bases in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Egypt, Djibouti and Kuwait.
Following on the heels of a 2010 Grammy nomination as well as a nomination for 2011 ACM Entertainer of the Year, Keith recently announced plans to return to Europe on his “Locked and Loaded World Tour.”
Check out these photos from Keith’s current USO tour:
USO tour veteran Toby Keith and singer-songwriter Scotty Emerick, deliver an acoustic guitar performance atop the cruise missile launch lids of the USS Leyte Gulf CG-55, where nearly the entire crew came out for Keith's performance.
Crew members of the USS Leyte Gulf CG-55 cheer on USO tour veteran and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Toby Keith on April 24.
Nearly 1,500 troops and their families stationed in Bahrain cheer on USO tour veteran and country music superstar Toby Keith as he wraps up his USO concert on April 22.
A crowd of more than 1,000 troops at Camp Speicher, Iraq, gathers for a one-of-a-k ind performanc e by Toby Keith on April 27.
Singer-songwriter Toby Keith performs for an estimated crowd of 1,500 troops and their families in Bahrain during his USO tour on April 22.
See more photos after the break.
Singer-songwriter Toby Keith gets a cockpit view of this C-2 (COD) as part of his recent USO tour to the Middle East on April 23. Keith gets a quick rundown on the ins and outs of this C-2 aircraft from the pilot, Capt. Short.
The hanger-deck of the USS Enterprise, which normally houses aircrafts, is jammed with the ship's crew, an estimated crowd of 2,000 service men and women have gathered for the USO concert by award-winning entertainer Toby Keith on April 23.
Country music superstar Toby Keith delivers a crowd-pleasing performance for an estimated crowd of 2,000 service men and women aboard the USS Enterprise Aircraft Carrier while at sea in the Persian Gulf on April 23.
Seasoned USO tour performer Toby Keith plays to a full audience of nearly 2,000 service men and women, Camp Taji, Iraq on April 26.
-BAM
Thank you for joining our conversation on BAM's Blog. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.
Comments
Hello, I hear you are doing another USO Tour which all Soldiers appreciate!! I am with the 239th MP CO deployed at COS Kalsu, Iraq and would love it if you could make a detour here. Thanks in advance for putting a smile on the Soldiers tired faces. Your Fan, SFC Holly Clark from Louisiana.
hat’s off to the band & T.Keith for their visits to Iraq. I have a 22 yr old MP that, I hope was able to see U guys.
(There are lyrics to a song about our ‘Flag’ I need to pass along,,,never released,,,,UR comments are welcomed!
Thanks again from NC
THXS for your coverage Brandy, you always do right by your OKL boy there!!… The USO gives us great insight into what the troops endure over there,, and Toby sure puts a smile on their faces….