Kellie Pickler to Spend Memorial Day Weekend on USO Tour

Have you ever noticed the tiny star tattoos on Kellie Pickler's left arm? Each star represents one of her overseas USO trips, immortalizing what the country star says is the greatest joy of her career.

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, Kellie has embarked on her fifth international USO tour, so we may see some new ink on her arm soon.

"I've been so blessed to work a lot with the USO and travel overseas to Afghanistan and Iraq and Kosovo and all kinds of other military bases. I've been able to see firsthand just exactly what they're doing," says the singer-songwriter. "It takes a very special person to sacrifice everything. When I say 'everything,' I don't mean just their time, I mean their life. Everything! Their family, their kids, their loved ones. You sacrifice every thing to put your life on the line for us, and it's such a great, honorable, heroic thing ... We have to raise our glass to them and keep them all in our prayers and always say thank you."

Kellie tweeted Thursday (May 24) that she's "off to the Middle East," though her exact whereabouts will be kept under wraps for security reasons. She also takes time to honor troops whenever she can back home in the U.S., traveling to domestic bases to perform and even stopping servicemen and women in grocery stores and airports to express her support.

"It's small things like saying 'thank you' that make the biggest difference, because it shows appreciation and it shows that you respect what they're doing," she says. "Regardless if you agree or disagree with what's going on, it's wrong to not say 'thank you' and give them a hug and let them know that you appreciate what they're doing."