Craig Morgan Enlists in Army Reserve Live Onstage at Grand Ole Opry: 'Excited to Once Again Serve My Country'

Craig Morgan is stepping up for his country once again.

The country music star, 59, surprised his fans on Saturday night when he enlisted and was sworn into the U.S. Army Reserve live onstage during his set at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

After performing several hits in civilian clothing, Morgan briefly exited the stage before returning dressed in his military uniform. He then proudly took the oath in a swearing-in ceremony officiated by General Andrew Poppas, commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers and applause.

“I’m excited to once again serve my country and be all I can be in hopes of encouraging others to be a part of something greater than ourselves,” Morgan said in a statement sent to PEOPLE. “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 previously served 17 years in the Army and Army Reserve with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions as an E-6 Staff Sergeant and Fire Support Specialist. He includes Airborne, Air Assault and Rappel Master among his certifications. He is also a recipient of the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal and the USO Merit Award, as well as a member of the U.S. Field Artillery Hall of Fame.

The "Little Bit of Life" singer will now serve as a soldier in the Army Reserve, while continuing to tour and release new music.

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said it's been "an honor" to work with Morgan on his return to military service.

“Craig has long been a champion of our military, with his support spanning his previous active-duty service and an accomplished career in music," Blackburn said in a statement. "His dedication to serving our country exemplifies the very best of the Volunteer Spirit, and I know his story will be an inspiration to Americans considering the call to serve.” 

Craig opened up about his distinguished military career — including working as a forward observer (a solider who operates behind enemy lines, directing fire) in Panama — in his 2022 memoir, God, Family, Country: Soldier, Singer, Husband, Dad—There's a Whole Lot More to Me.

"I think when people read some of this stuff, they'll laugh about the fact that this country singer was in Panama with a CIA team," he joked to PEOPLE in an interview ahead of the book's release last year.

"There are things that I took from the military and that part of my life — it was a fun part of my life," he explained. "Even some of the bad things that happened, some of the more difficult environments that I was in, all of these helped to make me the person that I am today."

Morgan was on his way to becoming sergeant major, when he decided to chase his love of music, according to the book's press release. After taking on various part-time jobs and pushing through some "lean years," he came to national attention with his 2002 hit "Almost Home."

Since then, Morgan has found fame on the country music scene (in 2008, he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry) and as a TV personality in CBS's Beyond the Edge reality competition.

This fall, Morgan will head back out on the road to reprise his God, Family, Country tour in partnership with Operation Finally Home. The concert series will kick off Sept. 20 in Englewood, New Jersey, with special guests The Reeves Brothers for 13 dates through the end of October.