Five-Country, 12-Day Troop Visit Marks Tenth USO Tour for the Singer/Songwriter, Who Has Lifted the Spirits of More Than 182,600 Service Members

Twitter Pitch: @the_USO and @tobykeithmusic celebrate 10 years together on troop visit to Middle East!

ARLINGTON, VA. (April 24, 2012) – Award-­‐winning singer/songwriter Toby Keith celebrates a decade of touring the globe, performing shows and visiting troops with the USO during five-country, 12-day USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. Traveling to the Middle East to lift the spirits of troops and their families, the megastar will continue his longstanding tradition of visiting remote forward operating bases and delivering a much-needed touch of home.

DETAILS:

• Just four-days into his 12-day USO tour, Keith has lifted the spirits of more than 3,900 service members stationed in Bahrain and aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, among other locations. 
• Since his first USO tour in 2002, Keith has traveled to more than 14 countries and participated in nine USO tours. Among the countries visited are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Cuba, Djibouti, Germany, Iraq, Italy, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and Macedonia. 
• In total, the star has participated in 211 USO shows and meet & greets and lifted the spirits of more than 182,600 service men and women on more than 100 military installations. 
• In 2007, while visiting troops in Afghanistan, Keith recognized the need to deliver the day-to-day comforts of home to service members stationed far away from main bases and USO centers. His idea became known as the “USO2GO” program - which sends much-needed electronics, entertainment, non-perishable comfort food and personal care items to troops stationed in remote locations. To date, 942 “USO2GO” kits have been distributed to 15 countries and more than 600 remote forward operating bases since the program’s inception in 2008. 
• Toby Keith’s commitment and devotion to the U.S. military extends far beyond annual USO entertainment tours. Whether offering a complimentary burger and a drink to service members returning to the states at his growing chain of restaurants, visiting wounded troops or advocating for veterans in the media, his support is never ending. 
• Released in October 2011, "Clancy's Tavern" is Keith's latest No. 1 album. The project includes the chart topping singles, “Made in America” and “Red Solo Cup,” which has logged more than 15 million online views becoming the biggest viral sensation in country music history. The video just received two 2012 CMT Music Awards nominations for Video of The Year and Male Video of The Year. Toby's new single "Beers Ago" is on its way to becoming another huge hit for the singer, songwriter and entertainer.
• This summer, Toby will hit the road with his “Live in Overdrive Tour Presented by Ford F-Series,” which will kick off June 14 in Salt Lake City.

Attributed to Toby Keith:
“I can’t believe it has already been a decade, it feels like just yesterday when I first started working with the USO. I’ve met so many great, brave service men and women over the years and had so many wonderful experiences, that I can barely remember them all. One thing is for sure, I enjoy working with the USO, I love our nation’s troops, and I won’t ever stop doing my part to extend my thanks.”

Attributed to USO President Sloan Gibson:
"The USO considers it a real privilege to have worked with Toby Keith over the last ten years. He has such a genuine interest in enhancing the lives of our nation’s troops and is truly among our biggest and most recognized supporters. We can’t thank him enough for all of the support he has shown us over the last decade and we look forward to many more years together.”

MULTIMEDIA:
USO Toby Keith Tour Photos: http://bit.ly/A6cqA5 
USO Fact Sheet: http://bit.ly/yaebvo

USO Logo: https://uso.box.net/shared/6q5cq0siij 
USO Toby Keith PSA: http://bit.ly/bVwJxL
AFE Logo: http://bit.ly/bCGwld


SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER WEB SITES:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_USO,http://twitter.com/tobykeithmusic and http://twitter.com/ArmedForcesEnt

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theUSO, www.facebook.com/tobykeith and www.facebook.com/ArmedForcesEnt

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/USO4troops
Web: www.uso.org, www.tobykeith.com and www.armedforcesentertainment.com

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About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, Clear Channel, Kangaroo Express, Kroger, Lowe’s, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft Corporation. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.