Gary Sinise takes off Sunday (5/6) with his Lt. Dan Band for Europe, where "We'll play at six or seven military bases 'til the 16th. Then I'll go on to Iraq on my own until the 24th, then come back and work on the Memorial Day show," he says, referring to PBS's "National Memorial Day Concert 2007," which he'll cohost with Joe Mantegna May 27 in Washington, D.C.

The trek marks the "CSI: New York" star's 24th USO tour. "In the past three or four years, I've kind of dedicated May to the USO. After that, I'm on vacation," he says.

Considering the ever-more-heated divisiveness of the Iraq War, has he found himself encountering negative response to his activities on behalf of the troops?

"I've never felt that," Sinise answers. "I think maybe if I politicized what I do in some way, I'd alienate people. I want to do things and say things that will help keep our troops strong and their families strong while they're in harm's way. I want them to know they're appreciated, not forgotten. That's what I care about."

He also stresses that "I get a lot of support" as far as his Operation Iraqi Children charity, which has provided more than 300,000 school supply kits "to kids over there who are just trying to go to school while living in a war zone. It's good for the kids and good for the troops who hand them out."

Sinise's fellow "Forrest Gump" actor Mykelti Williamson, whose two-part guest stint on "CSI: NY" wraps up Wednesday (5/9), also recently accompanied Gary on one of his visits to Walter Reed Army Hospital as part of a group of morale boosters. "He's a good friend. It was great having him," says Sinise, whose efforts on behalf of veterans go back before he immortalized the character of Vietnam vet/amputee Lt. Dan Taylor in "Gump." He adds, "Hopefully, one of the lessons of Vietnam was how not to treat our service members. No matter what your beliefs are politically, they serve our nation, and if we didn't have them, we'd be in trouble."

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" actor Robert David Hall just signed on for another year of the CBS drama, and says he's looking forward to seeing "my character grow. This year I've had a few moments that were awfully fun — singing while performing an autopsy on Danny Bonaduce, chasing a rat around the lab … That was as funny as anything I've done."

Now that the show has wrapped for this season, Hall says he's awaiting word on a movie role, has plans to travel with his wife, and will "hook up with Billy Petersen and most of the rest of the cast in Chicago for the debut of a 'CSI' thing at the science museum there May 25.

It's a traveling exhibit. It'll come to L.A. and around the country. We filmed little bits about our characters' work."

Hall will also do public speaking engagements having to do with disabilities and employment. As you may recall, he is a real-life amputee and longtime leader among actors with disabilities.

He was delighted by Heather Mills' showing on "Dancing With the Stars," by the way. "I spoke to her at an amputee convention back when she was Heather Mills McCartney. She wasn't real warm and cuddly, but I got to know her better," he says. Her not-so-sweet reputation is more than fine with him. "It's very important that people with disabilities are seen in all kinds of different ways. You can only go so far on 'Isn't he amazing?' You have to pay dues."

THAT'S SNOW BIZ: Hunky actor Gabriel Macht, in Canada filming "Whiteout," with Kate Beckinsale, tells us we can expect "a very cool, dark film" when the action thriller comes to screen. Kate, he notes, is playing "a U.S. Marshall trying to solve a murder, and I'm playing a U.N. weapons inspector who comes down to the South Pole to help her." Macht says he didn't have to do much training to prepare for the part: "I just had to look like I could move through snow OK." Sounds simple enough.

Meanwhile, Macht has "Because I Said So" — in which he stars alongside Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore — hitting DVD May 8. He's especially impressed by the 61-year-old Oscar winner. "She's got a — it's weird to say innocence — but an excitement for the world. It's nice to see an established actress still being amazed by different things in life. She's just so spontaneous and free with her work that it can seep out and influence anyone who's around her." Though the movie about the complex bond between mothers and daughters has plenty of estrogen to go around, Macht assures any guy that it's worth watching. "It's basic locker room talk for females," he says. "It's fun for the guys to know what women are thinking."

WHAT'S THAT SOUND?: Sanjaya Malakar has been doing rounds of talk shows since being voted off the uber popular "American Idol," and although he continues to butcher the song "Besame Mucho," he's still got one TV personality on his side, Kelly Ripa. "I watch him and I'm like, 'Wow, he's a great singer!'" Ripa says of the young star, who recently appeared on her "Live With Regis and Kelly." "Compared to my voice, they're all so amazing. I'm like, 'Give them all recording contracts!'"

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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