Craig Morgan says there’s ‘renewed pride in our nation’ as he reveals why he re-enlisted in US Army
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Country star Craig Morgan reflects on why he re-enlisted in the US Army in October 2023.
The 60-year-old ‘Almost Home’ singer sat for a candid chat with ‘Fox and Friends’ on Friday, March 7, when he opened up about his decision to reassociate himself from the army.
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During a performance on the historic Grand Ole Opry stage in October 2023, the country star, then 59, re-enlisted in the Army Reserves.
Craig Morgan reveals reason behind his re-enlistment in army
After serving 17 years as a staff sergeant and fire support specialist in the US Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, Craig Morgan returned to the army in 2023.
During his Grand Ole Opry performance in Nashville, Tennessee, in October 2023, the 'This Ain’t Nothin' singer was sworn back into the military.
Reflecting on the moment, the ‘Redneck Yacht Club’ singer revealed that there were two factors that primarily motivated him to rejoin the military again, as reported by Whiskey Riff.
“Recruiting was worse than it had ever been in the history of our nation. It was terrible, and I felt like I could bring something to the table to help with that,” shared Morgan.
The country star further revealed that his desire to get the appreciation letter from the army has further propelled him on this path.
“Secondly, I served 17 years and I never got a letter that said, thank you for your service,” shared the ‘Bonfire’ hitmaker, before confessing, “I wanted that retirement letter so bad. So this was an opportunity for me to do that.”
Craig Morgan feels nice about serving under president ‘who cares’
Later in the interview, the ‘Fox and Friends’ hosts pointed out that Craig Morgan was ahead of the trend, enlisting just before the recent surge in US Army recruitment.
The army recently revealed that December 2024 had been the most productive month in the last 15 years, with nearly 350 soldiers enlisting every day.
When the hosts asked Morgan whether he was surprised by the sudden surge in recruitment numbers, he replied, “Doesn’t surprise me at all. I’ve got to be honest. I’ve spent a lot of time out there talking to our young Americans and trying to encourage them.”
He continued, “As you all just said, there’s a sense of renewed pride in our nation, and that trickles down to our young men and women and their families.”
The hosts asked Morgan if he had ever been prouder to serve in the army than he is now under President Donald Trump's leadership.
“Never. I used to tell people, and I still do, I never joined the army for a president. You join the army to serve your country,” he clarified, before adding, “Any service member will tell you that.”
He said, “But it is nice to know that you have a President of the United States that truly cares about the men and women who are serving. Our Secretary of Defense truly cares about those men and women. These are people who have our interest first and foremost.”
