TOBY ENTERTAINS THOUSANDS IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN

TOBY ENTERTAINS THOUSANDS IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN
Submitted By Elaine Schock
May 7, 2008

(PERSIAN GULF) Acclaimed singer, songwriter and entertainer Toby Keith is
currently in the midst of a two-week, 18-show tour visiting U.S. military
personnel in the Persian Gulf region. And while raging sandstorms and
insurgent activity have forced some plan changes, nothing can stop Keith's
commitment to supporting the men and women of the armed forces.

As he has in the past, Keith is venturing out of the relative safety of
large airbases and green zones to visit troops stationed at forward
operating bases. At one site in Afghanistan, mortar fire interrupted Keith's
performance in mid-set, and he waited out the barrage signing autographs and
taking pictures with soldiers in a concrete bunker.

In Iraq, Keith played to the largest crowd he's seen yet in the country,
with several thousand soldiers on hand during his show at Camp Liberty in
Baghdad. The majority of Iraq was later enveloped in a massive sandstorm
that forced Keith and crew indoors and some schedule adjustments.

"We were stuck in Fallujah for a day and a half," says Keith's agent, Curt
Motley. "We got covered with dirt and dust even in our rooms and the air
appeared to be filled with smoke. We're covered in a fine, moon dust-looking
powder and the hallways appear to be smoking because there's so much dust
and dirt in the air."

Despite the challenges, including heat that has topped 130 degrees, Keith's
USO tour rolls on...