ARLINGTON , VA., Sept. 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following through on his on-air promise to host a USO tour and bring fans an inside look of the important work done by today's troops, Storme Warren of SiriusXM's "The Highway" – satellite radio's flagship channel for new country music, direct from Nashville – recently landed in Alaska and is currently leading a USO tour featuring Rodney Atkins and The Swon Brothers. The tour, which spans one week, features USO visits to Eielson Air Force Base (Sept. 14), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Sept. 15) and U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak (Sept. 17); along with three USO shows and a handful of unit visits – all of which are being captured and set to broadcast to fans around the world. To follow Warren and his friends and hear directly from troops stationed in Alaska, tune into SiriusXM's "The Highway" (Chan. 56) starting Sept. 16th from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT. ***USO photo and video link below, with content added daily***
DETAILS:
• Three days into the seven-day USO tour to the Arctic, the group has climbed inside of an F-16, participated in a combat arms training and maintenance simulator, learned about military working dogs and entertained hundreds of airmen and their families at Eielson Air Force Base. So far, the group has visited and created moments for more than 900 troops and military families with many more yet to come.
• Coming up later in the week, the group will visit more military units and perform two more USO shows.
• Commonly referred to as the "Dick Clark of Nashville," Warren broke into entertainment in 1990 and has gone on to appear on countless radio stations and television networks over the years, to include CNN, TNN and GAC, among others. Now the host of SiriusXM's "The Highway," he is also a long-time supporter of the USO. In 2007, Warren traveled to Iraq on his first USO tour. He followed up that experience in 2010 and 2011 at Nellis Air Force Base. In total, Warren has visited 12 bases in two countries and created moments for more than 11,600 troops and military families.
• Academy of Country Music award-winner Rodney Atkins has sold more than 7.5 million singles and charted six No. 1 hits, including "Take A Back Road," "These Are My People," "Watching You," and "Farmer's Daughter." In early 2015, he released his fifth Curb Records album, Rodney Atkins – Greatest Hits. A longtime supporter of America's Armed Forces, Atkins' first USO tour was to Kuwait and Afghanistan in 2012, followed by a USO tour to Fort Leonard Wood in 2014 and a return visit to Kuwait and Afghanistan that same year. In all, the singer/songwriter has toured 11 installations with the USO and visited more than 8,200 troops and military families.
• Following their Top 15 debut hit, "Later On," The Swon Brothers (Zach and Colton) are continuing to climb into the spotlight, playing to capacity crowds all over the country. The duo released their major-label debut, THE SWON BROTHERS, on October 14, 2014, putting their stamp on the 11-song collection by co-producing with Mark Bright (Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans). The brothers have received CMA and ACM Award nominations for "Vocal Duo of the Year" as well as a CMT Music Award nomination for "Duo Video of the Year." Honored with the Rising Star award by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, the Muskogee, OK, natives have been charming fans with their incredible sibling harmonies and fun-loving personalities since childhood. Earlier this year, the duo hit the road on the winter 2015 leg of Brad Paisley's Country Nation World Tour, and they're currently playing a slate of "Swoncerts" at fairs and major festivals nationwide and working on brand new music.
QUOTES:
Attributed to Storme Warren:
"This USO tour is exactly what I imagined it would be. Informative, fun, insightful… I always learn so much every time I go out with the USO and I always return home a different person, a better person. The work our troops and military families are doing here is as impressive as it is important, and I think our Highway listeners will get that now, more than ever before."
Attributed to Rodney Atkins:
"It's been a great experience traveling around with Storme and The Swon Brothers, and getting to spend some real time with our military community stationed in Alaska. Eielson Air Force Base treated us wonderfully and I'm really excited to see what more the USO has planned for us later in the week."
Attributed to Zach Swon of The Swon Brothers:
"We're so honored that the USO and SiriusXM invited us to be a part of this tour. It's really been an eye-opening experience and one that we will take with us for the rest of our lives."
Attributed to Colton Swon of The Swon Brothers:
"Being able to meet with and perform for our service men and women serving in Alaska was an amazing experience."
MULTI-MEDIA:
USO Photos: http://bit.ly/1KzTLqH
USO Video: http://bit.ly/1h0qaiI
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About the USO
The USO 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 in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President's Circle Partners: AT &T, BNSF Railway, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, JCPenney, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Four-Star Partners: BIC, ConAgra Foods, FedEx, GEICO, Harris Teeter, Jeep, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, NFL, Procter & Gamble, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG and Wawa Inc. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
Photos accompanying this release are available at:
