Stars Provide Boost to U.S. Troops

By Stephen M. Silverman

12/10/2001 at 12:52 PM EST

From Jennifer Lopez and Kid Rock to Tom Cruise and George Clooney (with his "Ocean's Eleven " retinue), the stars came out to entertain American armed forces this weekend. Jennifer Lopez, Kid Rock and Ja Rule delivered a two-and-a-half hour show at the Ramstein U.S. military base in southwestern Germany Saturday night, sponsored by the USO and MTV. "Having her here is like having a one-woman humanitarian drop," host Carson Daly told a crowd of some 1,500 soldiers and their families. Kid Rock and Ja Rule also scored extra points by fraternizing with the troops in the days before the show, reports Reuters. Daly told the news service that although she didn't mingle with the soldiers, J. Lo was a good sport, despite her longing to go home after her European tour. Meanwhile, on Friday, Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia-- having arrived via private jet after the Wednesday night L.A. premiere of " Ocean's Eleven" -- signed autographs, chatted and posed with American troops at a top-security military base in southern Turkey, the Associated Press reports. Staff Sgt. Steven Coppock of Roy, Utah, said he helped instruct Roberts as she drove a giant remote-controlled tractor, which is used to defuse bombs, around a parking lot at the Incirlik air base. "She was concerned she might hit somebody's vehicle," Coppock told the AP. Closer to home, "Vanilla Sky" star Tom Cruise and director Cameron Crowe made a stop at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, last week to personally thank military personnel, the AP reports. The crowd of about 500 cheered as Cruise told troops and their families that he appreciated the sacrifices they were making. "As an American, I feel proud," said Cruise. "And I've got a lot of admiration for what you do."