Gary Sinise

Actor 

Best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, for his portrayal of Detective Mac Taylor in CSI: New York, and as a founder of Chicago's legendary Steppenwolf Theater, Gary Sinise is proudest of his work as a humanitarian and USO entertainer. Whether jamming for the U.S. military and their families with his phenomenal Lt. Dan Band, or donating his time and energy to Operation Iraqi Children, the charity organization he helped create, Gary is a beloved figure at home at abroad.

An accomplished rock bassist, since 2003 Gary has made it his mission to bring the joy of music to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their loved ones. This mission has taken the Lt. Dan Band everywhere from the Pentagon to Afghanistan, where they routinely thrill audiences with their high-energy covers of classic rock tracks, from the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix to John Mayer and Linkin Park. Gary's infectious spirit and musicianship have made Lt. Dan a crowd-pleasing favorite on the USO circuit, at club venues, and at fundraising events worldwide.

In 2003 Gary co-founded with Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand the nonprofit charity Operation Iraqi Children, which provides schoolchildren with basic school supplies personally handed out by American troops. Since its inception OIC has expanded into Afghanistan, and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina its resources were utilized to distribute school-supply kits to children in need along the GulfCoast.