“A Veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life.” On Veterans Day, everybody takes time to do something we should do every day: Honor and give thanks to the brave men and women who have stepped up and offered to lay down their life in defense of our country, our freedom, and our lives. And the country music community has a long history of stepping up to serve our country, so we wanted to take some time to recognize some of the many country artists who have served in the military: 1. George Strait – U.S. Army The King enlisted in the United States Army as an infantryman in 1971. While stationed in Hawaii as part of the 25th Infantry Division, Strait performed with an Army-sponsored country music band named Rambling Country. George Strait enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1971 where he served for four years. To him and to all who have served – THANK YOU #VeteransDay #CarolsPub pic.twitter.com/D1CF2WQAEg — Carol's Pub (@Carols_Chicago) November 11, 2020 2. Johnny Cash – U.S. Air Force The Man In Black enlisted in the Air Force after high school and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. Cash served as a Morse Code Intercept Operator for Soviet transmissions, and actually became the first American to learn of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s death after intercepting code in 1953. 75 years ago, a young J.R. Cash enlisted in the US Air Force. pic.twitter.com/cEjygLk3pf — Johnny Cash (@JohnnyCash) July 14, 2025 3. John Prine – U.S. Army The legendary singer and songwriter was stationed in Germany while serving in the Army during the Vietnam war, famously joking about his service: “In the Army, I was very good at avoiding my job.” 4. Jamey Johnson – U.S. Marine Corp The “In Color” singer says that he always knew he would be a Marine: “From the time I was a kid, I always knew I was going to be a Marine one day. When I reached that point in college when it was time to sign this off and move on, one of my ideas was, ‘Well, I can go join the Marine Corps or go in the reserves, get my GI bill and then (get) right back up in school.’’ 5. Zach Bryan – U.S. Navy Zach Bryan joined the Navy at the age of 17 before being honorably discharged in 2021 to pursue a career in music. View this post on Instagram 6. Sturgill Simpson – U.S. Navy After “barely” graduating from Woodford County High School in Versailles, Kentucky, Sturgill decided to enlist in the Navy, He worked in the Combat Information Center of a frigate, in addition to serving in Japan before moving on to pursue music. 7. Craig Morgan – U.S. Army Craig Morgan previously spent 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve, serving the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as an E-6 Staff Sergeant and Fire Support Specialist, and he recently re-enlisted into the U.S. Army Reserve as a Staff Sergeant and Warrant Officer candidate. View this post on Instagram 8. Willie Nelson – U.S. Air Force Willie served briefly in the United States Air Force but was discharged after nine months due to ongoing back problems. After being discharged, Nelson picked up a few odd jobs in Texas before focusing on music full-time. 9. Kris Kristofferson – U.S. Army According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Kristofferson completed one of the “physically challenging courses: Ranger School,” and was a trained helicopter pilot. In the 1960s, he was stationed with the 8th Infantry Division in West Germany, where he formed a band and performed for those in his barracks. After returning from overseas, Kristofferson was offered an Army job teaching English literature at the U.S. Military Academy, but he declined the offer. Kristofferson left the military in 1965 to pursue his musical career, which caused a massive riff with his family. 10. George Jones – U.S. Marine Corps After his marriage to his first wife, Dorothy, collapsed after a year, the young 19-year-old George Jones thought he enlisted in the Marines. Although the United States was at war with Korea at his service, Jones never served overseas. From 1951 to 1953, Jones was stationed in California and performed in bars throughout his service. As soon as he was discharged in 1953, he immediately performed again, focusing on music full-time. View this post on Instagram 11. Conway Twitty – U.S. Army Before he was known as Conway Twitty, Harold Lloyd Jenkins was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, where he was stationed in Japan and even formed a band named the Cimmarons.The post 11 Country Artists Who Served In The United States Military first appeared on Whiskey Riff.