A true star for his country

Country musician Craig Morgan often chats with troops at USO shows overseas, and he met some of his closest friends when he was a U.S. Army soldier.

Now he’s speaking for troops who are silently struggling with combat stress.

Morgan is the new spokesman for Not Alone, an online-based program that offers counseling and support for soldiers and families dealing with depression and stress.

“It’s difficult sometimes for a soldier to discuss his frustrations or his lack of understanding of what it is that he’s going through,” says Morgan, who’s on tour with Carrie Underwood (they played the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on Sunday).

“When you wake up every morning, knowing that you’re going to go out and patrol an area where there’s a good chance you’re going to be blown up or shot, that’s a lot of stress. It’s a lot to deal with.”

Jeff Searcy, Not Alone’s executive director, said veterans will listen when another vet tells them to get help: “I think not only will they listen to his music, they will listen to his message.”

Morgan spent nearly 11 years as an active-duty soldier before becoming a country artist, and his service to the country is never far from his mind.

He has played overseas for troops almost every year for the past eight years, and some of those soldiers return to see him play in the U.S.

“Without fail at every show, someone comes up and says, ‘I’ve seen you in Baghdad,’ and it’s an awesome thing to see them back at home,” he says.

The birthday bunch

Actor-director Clint Eastwood is 80. Singer Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary) is 72. Actress Sharon Gless is 67. Actor Tom Berenger is 60. Comedian Chris Elliott is 50. Actor Kyle Secor is 50. Actress Lea Thompson is 49. Rapper DMC (Run-DMC) is 46. Actress Brooke Shields is 45. Actor Colin Farrell is 34.