Jack Daniel's to Host USO Care Package Stuffing Parties at Fort Gillem and Fort Hood.

Country Music Star and Army Veteran Craig Morgan to Entertain Volunteers

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. -- Jack Daniel's will enlist the help of military spouses and other volunteers to assemble thousands of Operation USO Care Packages at two "stuffing parties" to be held at military bases this fall.

The events -- scheduled for October 10 at Fort Gillem, GA and November 1 at Fort Hood, TX -- are part of the Jack Daniel Distillery and USO's "Toast to the Troops" campaign. A third stuffing party is planned in the western U.S. for early 2007. In 2005, 10,000 "toasts" were included in care packages assembled by military spouses and Jack Daniel Distillery employees at a stuffing party held at Fort Campbell, KY.

Through the "Toast to the Troops" program, Jack Daniel's and the USO are collecting personal messages of support, or "toasts," to include in care packages for service men and women. Toasts are being collected through the Jack Daniel's Web site (www.jackdaniels.com), and at the Jack Daniel's Experience during NASCAR races and at selected retail outlets. The USO care packages contain an assortment of items service members have specifically requested, such as disposable cameras, prepaid international calling cards, toiletries, and sunscreen.

Country music star and Army veteran Craig Morgan has signed on to entertain volunteers and soldiers currently stationed at Fort Gillem and Fort Hood following the care package stuffing parties. Last year, Morgan performed at Jack Daniel's/USO "Toast to the Troops" events in Fort Campbell, KY and New York City. He also entertained troops in Iraq on the USO's Sergeant of the Army holiday tour. He is a recipient of the USO Merit Award, presented by the USO of Metropolitan Washington, an honor shared by the late Bob Hope.

"When Jack Daniel's asked me to work with the 'Toast to the Troops' again this year, I immediately held the dates open in my schedule," said Morgan. "I always try to do all I can to support our U.S. service members, but I especially like to be involved with efforts like these that are so 'hands on.' And, I'll be visiting our troops in the Middle East myself later this year, so I know I'll be hearing a lot about these care packages when I'm over there."

"Jack Daniel's loves Craig Morgan," said Mark Bacon, National Brand Director for Jack Daniel's. "Craig is the real deal, and we're so glad he's joining us and the USO to once again honor not only our troops, but also their spouses who sacrifice so much on the home front."

Craig Morgan will release Little Bit of Life, his highly anticipated new Broken Bow Records album, on October 31st. Little Bit of Life is the follow-up to Morgan's groundbreaking CD, My Kind of Livin', which spawned country radio's most played song of 2005, the 5-week #1 smash "That's What I Love About Sunday," as well as the chart-topping summer anthem "Redneck Yacht Club." Morgan spent ten years as an Army Ranger on active duty before launching his music career, serving in Operation Just Cause and completing tours in Panama and Korea.

Because of heightened security, individuals can no longer send letters and packages addressed to "Any Service Member." Approved and endorsed by the Department of Defense, the Operation USO Care Package program is a way to send a message of encouragement to a service member and provide "a touch of home." The USO has sent out more than 900,000 Care Packages since the program's inception in 2001. To donate to Operation USO Care Package and other USO programs, visit www.uso.org.

About Jack Daniel's

Officially registered by the U.S. Government in 1866, the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, proprietor, is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Based in Lynchburg, Tenn., the Jack Daniel Distillery is the maker of the world-famous Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails. Jack Daniel's encourages its friends to drink responsibly.

About the USO

For more than 65 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE SYSTEMS, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Military Channel, S&K Sales Company and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.

About Fort Gillem

Fort Gillem is a 1,500-acre complex in Forest Park, Georgia. It has contributed more than five decades of service to America by working side by side with the surrounding Clayton County communities. The post is one of the largest employers in Clayton County. It is home to 89 organizations, including First U.S. Army, Second Recruiting Brigade, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service Atlanta Distribution Center, Atlanta Military Entrance Processing Station, 3d MP Group, the Army's only criminal forensic lab, the 52d Ordnance Group and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Territory Logistics Center - East. Though slated for closure in 2011 under the Base Realignment and Closure commission, elements of Fort Gillem will remain, albeit with a smaller footprint.

About Fort Hood

Like the State of Texas, Fort Hood is big and boasts of being the largest active duty armored post in the United States Armed Services with over 40,000 Soldiers assigned. Fort Hood covers a total of 339 square miles and is the only post in the United States that supports two full armored divisions and a corps headquarters.

Fort Hood is also home to 1st Cavalry Division, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Headquarters, III Corps, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Signal Brigade, 13th Finance Group, 89th Military Police Brigade, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, 3rd Air Support Operations Group, Operational Test Command (OTC), 21st Cavalry Brigade, 36th Engineer Brigade, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Dental Activity (DENTAC), various other units and tenants. Many of the units at Fort Hood are currently deployed to Iraq. The post is located in Central Texas, near the city of Killeen.