Randy Houser photo courtesy of Universal Records South.

Last month, Randy Houser joined a long list of country stars who’ve toured the Middle East with the USO, and if you thought that celebrities got soft treatment, he insists that’s not the case.

“There was a lot of stuff they left out of the brochure,” he told The San Antonio Express-News. “It was pretty scary, pretty dangerous. I thought we were going to a pretty safe area.”

Randy spent about 10 days in Iraq and Kuwait with Kellie Pickler and Jamey Johnson, a trip that’s also been made by the likes of Mark Wills, Craig Morgan, the Zac Brown Band, Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, Neal McCoy and Kix Brooks.

Randy, Jamey and Kellie played remote bases on the front lines of the war zone, and the sound of gun fire became their frequent companion at night. It wasn’t what Randy had expected.

“It’ll change your life,” he said. “You’ll carry something home that you never had when you left to go over there. It’s gut-sucked-in, chest-poked-out patriotism. That’s what you carry home … They’re out there keeping us safe. The sound of war is something you’ll never forget.”

That includes the sound of war games.

“It was pretty amazing,” he said. “We got to shoot every gun you could possibly think of.”

Pictures from Randy’s trip can be seen at www.randyhouser.com. To see photos from Nan Kelley’s, Craig Morgan’s & Chris Young’s recent trip to the Middle East, click here!

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