During his hiatus from CSI: New York this season, Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor) will be visiting the troops overseas during his USO tour.

The actor has been entertaining the troops with his Lt. Dan Band for years, but during this year's Memorial Day Concert, he won't be there to sing. "They asked me to co-host, so that's just what I'm coming back to do," he explained. "I'll get on a plane the next day and head out to meet the band on the road, then we'll play some shows."

Sinise will still tour around the world with his band to play for troops stationed around the world and the US. "It worked out great, because we were just coming off a USO tour. This year, instead of Memorial Day coming at the end of our tour, we start the tour the day after this concert. We'll do a U.S. tour by bus right after the holiday and hit four or five bases."

But the band doesn't just play for troops, they also play for their friends and relatives. "Some of the troops at the bases we play are either heading overseas or just returning, or we're playing for relatives of service members deployed around the world," Sinise said. "They're missing them, and if we come in and entertain them a little, that can be a very good thing for them. It's a good feeling to know we can continue to help out."

Playing with the Lt. Dan Band also gives Sinise the opportunity to satiate his theatre thirst. "I've done a lot of theater, but being on the TV show now, I can't do plays. Being on a stage performing with the band is kind of my theater fix, plus we're doing music that's hopefully helping someone, which makes it twice as meaningful."

Head over to the Buffalo News to read the rest of the article

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