Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kicks Off USO Holiday Tour with Help From Jordin Sparks, Minka Kelly, Robert Horry and ‘Nephew Tommy’

ARLINGTON, VA. (Dec. 16, 2011) – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey leads his first-ever USO holiday tour overseas, bringing with him 19 Recordings/RCA Records recording artist Jordin Sparks, actress/model Minka Kelly, seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry and comedian Thomas ‘Nephew Tommy’ Miles. **USO Photos Included, See Below**

Details:

• This tour is part of an ongoing USO tradition of partnering with senior leaders and working with celebrity entertainers to bring a touch of home to troops stationed abroad.  The USO has worked with the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2000. This fall, the USO bid a farewell to Admiral Mike Mullen, who led ten USO tours to 13 countries, lifting the spirits of more than 79,000 service members
• General Dempsey’s eight-day, four-country USO tour is designed to deliver a much-needed break to those on the front lines by ensuring all Marines, airmen, soldiers, sailors, Coast guardsmen and serving civilian employees get the chance to take photos, obtain autographs and spend time with his star-studded guests.
• So far, this tour has visited more than 7 military locations and lifted the spirits of more than 3,100 service men and women stationed in Kuwait. Among some of the places visited so far, the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, Camp Buehring, Camp Virginia and Camp Arifjan among others.
• This trip will mark the first USO tour for Sparks, Horry and Miles, and the second for Kelly, who traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2008 and visited hundreds of troops and military families.
• 19 Recordings/RCA Records recording artist Sparks has released two albums since her big win on “American Idol” in 2007. Known for such hits as “No Air,” “Battlefield” and “S.O.S.,” she has toured with Alicia Keys, The Jonas Brothers and Brittany Spears, and won scores of awards including, two BET Awards, one American Music Award and one People’s Choice Award. Sparks will make her feature film debut in 2012 with SONY Pictures’ “Sparkle” starring Whitney Houston.
• USO tour veteran/actress Kelly, best known for her role as ‘Lyla Garrity’ on NBC’s “Friday Night Lights,” recently starred in ABC’s iconic series “Charlie’s Angles.” Her recent film credits include “The Roommate” opposite Leighton Meester, Mark Webb’s “500 Days of Summer” and Peter Berg’s “The Kingdom” starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner.
• Seven-time NBA champion Horry retired from basketball in 2008 after played 16 seasons for the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. One of only nine players to have won seven or more championships in the NBA, he holds the record for greatest number of three-pointers in the NBA Finals with 53, eclipsing Michael Jordan’s 42. Horry is also the son of a soldier.
• Actor, comedian, producer and entrepreneur, Thomas ‘Nephew Tommy’ Miles wears many hats and has built a career that spans radio, television, film and more. The co-host of the nationally syndicated “Steve Harvey Morning Show,” Miles entertains more than 7 million listeners daily with his comedic antics and colorful characters.
  

Quotes:

Attributed to Jordin Sparks:
            "I have had such a blast on this trip. It is funny, you have in your mind what you think this trip will be like, but then you fly over and it is nothing like you expected… it is more.  Chairman Dempsey, the USO, all the military personnel on the ground have all been amazing and I salute them for their service.”

Attributed to Minka Kelly:
            “General Dempsey’s USO holiday tour has been nothing short of amazing. Everyone I have met and spent time with are extraordinary. There are no words to describe how I am feeling. I am in complete awe of everything and cannot them everyone enough.”

Attributed to Robert Horry:
              “I’ve always been big on family. And now thanks to General Dempsey and the USO, I have an even bigger one made up of all of the men and women I’ve met on this trip. Each of them hold a great amount of responsibility and do so with dignity and skill. I will keep them all close to my hear and pray for their safe return home."

Attributed Thomas ‘Nephew Tommy’ Miles:
                “This trip has been life-changing. Never before have I seen so many young men and women carry such great weight on their shoulders and do so with ease and skill. They are all examples of who we should be and I can’t thank them enough."

Attributed to USO President Sloan Gibson:
                 "As we celebrate the holidays and look towards 2012, the USO is looks forward to continuing our mission of supporting troops and their families.  Partnerships with senior military leaders like General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and our celebrity volunteers make it possible for us to deliver the gift of home to our men and women in uniform and to let them know that America appreciates their sacrifices."

Multimedia:

Social Media and Other Web Sites:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_USO, http://twitter.com/thejointstaff, http://twitter.com/Martin_Dempsey, http://twitter.com/JordinSparks, http://twitter.com/MinkaKelly and twitter.com/NephewTommy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theUSO, www.facebook.com/TheJointStaff, www.facebook.com/GENDempsey, www.facebook.com/jordinsparks, www.facebook.com/MinkaKelly and www.facebook.com/NephewTommy

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/USO4troops and www.youtube.com/thenephewtommy

Web: http://www.uso.org, http://www.jcs.mil/, www.dodlive.mil/index.php/category/chairmans-corner/, www.jordinsparks.com and http://nephew-tommy.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, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their 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 and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Procter & Gamble. 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.

Contact:

Oname Thompson, USO                                    
703.908.6471
othompson@uso.org

Oname Thompson
(703) 908-6471
othompson@uso.org 

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, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit 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 and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Procter & Gamble. 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 http://www.uso.org.