General James Cartwright to Travel to Persian Gulf to Visit Service Members, Meet with Commanders and Lead USO Tour
Wilmer Valderrama, Mayra Veronica and Russell Peters to Accompany
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Entertain U.S. Troops

ARLINGTON, Va. – Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James E. Cartwright of the U.S. Marine Corps will soon bring actor Wilmer Valderrama, model and singer Mayra Veronica and comedian Russell Peters to the Persian Gulf to entertain troops as part of a USO tour. The third USO tour for Valderrama and the first for Veronica and Peters, the trio will travel thousands of miles with Chairman Cartwright to salute service men and women, visit members of the armed forces, sign autographs, pose for pictures and serve up a platter of laughs to those in uniform.

“I look forward to leading this USO tour and saluting our service men and women,” says General Cartwright. “It’s imperative to honor and praise our troops, and this tour does just that – it lets them know America cares, recognizes and appreciates their efforts.”

To bring a touch of home to U.S. troops General Cartwright will preside over the festivities, thanking service members for their contributions and introducing them to three of today’s most sought-after entertainers. Embarking on what can only be described as a whirlwind tour, General Cartwright and the band of A-list entertainers accompanying him, will make stops in six countries and stage eight shows in the course of only six days.

“I am thrilled to be touring with the USO again and to be traveling to the Persian Gulf to entertain troops,” says Valderrama. “The opportunity to travel with General Cartwright, meet with so many service members and offer my thanks is a real honor.”

Best known for his role as ‘Fez’ on the hit show “That 70’s Show,” Valderrama is the creator, producer and host of the MTV comedy series, “Yo Momma.” He is also the voice of ‘Manny Garcia’ on Disney Channel’s animated children’s program “Handy Manny.” Adding to his long list of credits, Valderrama most recently starred in such films as “Fast Food Nation,” “Unaccompanied Minors” and “The Darwin Awards.” Coming up, Valderrama can be seen in “Days of Wrath” opposite Laurence Fishburne, “Columbus Day” opposite Val Kilmer and the big-screen adaptation of “CHiPs.”

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Voted one of the “top 100 sexiest women in the world” by FHM magazine, Veronica is a model, actress and songstress. Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, she has graced the covers of such magazines as Maxim, InStyle and King. Veronica has also been featured in countless commercials and was the source of inspiration behind an animated character in Def Jam: Icon, a popular video game created by Electronic Arts. A former regular on Univision’s “Don Francisco Presenta,” she recently signed a multi-million dollar record deal with CMG/Universal Motown.

Arguably one of the funniest comedians in the world, Peters has sold out theatres from San Francisco to Sydney. Having entertained audiences around the globe, to include South Africa, India and Vietnam, Peters is the first comic to sell-out the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Performing stand-up for more than 17 years, Peters has built a massive fan base, attracting more than 10,000 visitors on his web site everyday. One of only a handful of comics to headline at Madison Square Garden, Peters just signed on to do a Fox sitcom based on his life growing up in a South Asian household.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are currently 1.4 million active-duty U.S. service members and 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserves, with many serving overseas. In additional to the many other programs and services provided by the USO, entertainment tours are essential to fulfilling the USO's mission of boosting the morale of service members stationed far from home. Entertainers who recently participated in USO tours include Trevor Romain, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Pitbull, O.A.R. and Lewis Black, among other A-list celebrities.

AT&T, Inc. is the official telecommunications sponsor of USO entertainment tours. For a list of recent and upcoming USO tours, visit www.uso.org/whatwedo/entertainment/. To learn more about the USO or to find out how to support the troops, visit www.uso.org.

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About the USO
For more than 66 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 North America, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, DRS Technologies, Inc., S & K Sales Co., TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), 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.