Sinise Rocks Out To Support US Troops

Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor) will return to the set of CSI: New York at the end of July to begin filming the show’s seventh season. In the meantime, the actor is continuing to support the men and women of the United States military.

Sinise and his Lt Dan Band will perform at the end of a full day of events on July 17 as part of Rockin’ for the Troops at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois. The annual fundraiser is sponsored by Operation Support Our Troops Illinois. The goal of OSOTIL is to raise money to send care packages and letters of support to deployed service members, support wounded soldiers and increase awareness about the needs of the men and women in the military.

It is rewarding for Sinise to see organizations like OSOTIL succeed. “The Rockin’ For The Troops concert that OSOTIL puts on has become one of my favorite shows of the year, as they have done such a superb job of growing their organization and keeping it strong through tough times,” the actor told the Naperville Sun. “They know that as long as the troops are in harm’s way, we cannot let up. And this community really turns out in great numbers to support this concert.”

“It is a constant mission to keep the support going as people are tired of war,” Sinise continued. “But if you think you are tired, imagine what it is like for a soldier who has been deployed four or five times in the last seven years. Imagine what it is like for that family. Imagine what it is like for the families of our fallen heroes.” He added, “We must succeed in this war, and we must do everything we can for our troops in order to help them succeed so they can come home safely.”

Sinise understands how difficult it is for families who have loved ones deployed overseas. “My family is going through it also, as my nephew is in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne,” the actor revealed. “We worry every day. No news is good news for us, as he cannot tell us what he is doing. So I just like to go to places where I can say thank you to these folks for all they do for us. And they, in turn, always thank me for showing up. It’s quite humbling.”