It's important to give back.

When Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor) is not filming CSI: New York, the actor tries to do his part to support American service members. A special airing on the Fox News network this weekend entitled On the Road in Iraq With Our Troops and Gary Sinise follows the actor during a seven day trip he took to the region this summer. Sinise was accompanied by his friend, filmmaker Jonathan Flora, who came back with 26 hours of footage showing Sinise interacting with the troops, shaking hands and signing autographs.

"I admire these people, and I respect them," Sinise told the Hollywood Reporter. "I did not serve in the military myself, and I want to do what I can to support them." The actor has travelled to the war zone numerous times to visit the troops. "Whether you support the war, the mission is to make sure our troops and service members who don't ask all that much get some sort of appreciation and gratitude," Sinise explained.

One way the actor shows his own appreciation is by giving performances for the troops with the Lt Dan Band. The group is named after Sinise's role as a disabled Army veteran in Forrest Gump. "Even though I am on a top franchise on CSI New York, there's no getting around that Forrest Gump was a movie that was and still is embraced by millions and millions of people," Sinise explained to Fox News. "Within the military community, they like that character so much, that wherever I started to go for the USO and to other military events, people would call me 'Lt. Dan.'"

"Iraq is off the front page now and has been replaced with other things, so unless you are personally attached or involved with someone who has sacrificed, who is serving in the military, then you're probably not too aware," the actor told the Los Angeles Times. "I have great respect for these volunteers who go out and defend this country. Showing some of what I see might help people understand them. Hopefully they'll come away with a new perspective of who the folks are in the military." The special, On the Road in Iraq With Our Troops And Gary Sinise, airs Saturday, January 9 on Fox News at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.

The original articles are from the Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles Times and Fox News.

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