The Redneck Yacht Club is the Army’s latest recruiting weapon.
On Saturday, 59-year-old country music star Craig Morgan — whose songs include “Redneck Yacht Club” and “That’s What I Love About Sunday” — re-enlisted in the Army Reserves during a live show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. Morgan previously served 17 years in the active-duty Army and Reserves and will now serve as a celebrity recruiter for the force at a time of sagging recruitment for the military.
“I love being an artist but I consider it a true privilege and honor to work with what I believe are the greatest of Americans, my fellow soldiers,” Morgan said in a statement following his on-stage swearing-in. “God Bless America, go Army.”
Morgan’s return to the ranks is designed to be an attention-grabbing move for both the signer and the service, which is on pace to miss its recruiting goals by about 10,000 individuals this year. That follows a similar shortfall in recruiting last year, an issue that has drawn considerable concern from military leaders and lawmakers.
The country star’s re-enlistment was allowed in part because of a behind-the-scenes push from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who serves on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“This is going to draw attention to the fact that the military’s numbers are down, and people need to think about service to their country,” she told Military Times. “Having Craig out there, helping deliver that message, talking about how blessed he’s been with his career and then still wanting to enlist again, I think it’s fantastic.”
Morgan previously served with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. As a new reservist, he will be assigned to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama but also continuing touring, including several shows for the military in coming months.
He performed the end of Saturday’s show in full Army uniform, including performing his song “Soldier.”
Gen. Andrew Poppas, head of Army Forces Command, officiated the concert ceremony and praised Morgan’s decision to again serve his country.
“No matter who you are or where you’re from, service in the United States Army is a unique, life-changing honor,” he said. “Every soldier who enters the Army has the opportunity to become the best version of themselves, and Staff Sgt. Morgan is no exception.”
Army officials have until Sept. 30 to reach their fiscal 2023 enlistment goals. The Senate on Thursday advanced their version of the annual defense authorization bill, which included a host of new recruiting and re-enlistment bonuses for servicemembers, but that measure likely won’t become law until sometime this fall.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
