Kellie Pickler loves our troops! The country cutie headed to the Middle East for her fifth international USO tour, a fact she let us know via a recent tweet. Five tours? That’s dedication to our boys (and girls) in the service. Pickler is naturally perky, but the ‘Where’s Tammy Wynette’ singer expressed excitement about being able to visit the military bases overseas and perform. But that’s not the extent of her support. Heck, it’s not even the half of it.

“I’ve been so blessed to work a lot with the USO and travel overseas to Afghanistan and Iraq and Kosovo and all kinds of other military bases. I’ve been able to see firsthand just exactly what they’re doing,” Pickler said, according to The Boot. “It takes a very special person to sacrifice everything. When I say ‘everything,’ I don’t mean just their time, I mean their life. Everything! Their family, their kids, their loved ones. You sacrifice every thing to put your life on the line for us, and it’s such a great, honorable, heroic thing … We have to raise our glass to them and keep them all in our prayers and always say thank you.”

Pickler cannot reveal exactly where in the Middle East she is going in effort to maintain security standards. But even when she’s not headed to bases in foreign territory to show her support, Pickler makes sure to express her love for the troops in the domestic setting, as well. So if you are a uniformed member of the military and you happen to run into Pickler at the supermarket or the mall, be prepared to be stopped and to be the recipient of a big ol’ hug.

She reasoned, “It’s small things like saying ‘Thank you’ that make the biggest difference, because it shows appreciation and it shows that you respect what they’re doing. Regardless if you agree or disagree with what’s going on, it’s wrong to not say ‘Thank you’ and give them a hug and let them know that you appreciate what they’re doing.”

Pickler loves all arms of the U.S military force equally. She recently flew with the elite Blue Angels.

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