An integral part of Independence Day is honoring U.S. military members for their service and sacrifice.

One pro who relishes visiting service members and their families overseas whenever possible is Danny Jensen.

The Pro Pickleball Tour in association with Pro Sports MVP presented by Armed Forces Entertainment is near and dear to his heart.

Back in December, Jensen and fellow players Taylor Garcia, Courtney McIntosh, and Courtney Kendall embarked on a 14-day tour of U.S. military bases across six countries - the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Djibouti - to spread the love of pickleball and a message of gratitude and support during the holiday season.

He also participated in a 23-day trek in March with stops in places like England, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.

“I think it’s about the best way I can possibly give back with the sport of pickleball, especially to our military, especially on the other side of the world,” said Jensen. “This is something I put at the top of my priority list. It wouldn’t matter if there was a tournament, it wouldn’t matter what there is, I would always choose serving those who serve our country and allow me to play this incredible game. I’ll choose that over playing for myself any day.”

Jensen, Garcia, McIntosh, and Kendall hosted clinics and taught the fundamentals of America’s fastest-growing sport, talking strategy and playing a few matches, too.

Pickleball is rather popular among military personnel.

“A lot of these military bases are actually creating their own pickleball groups. We have anywhere from 15 to 45 people at every base playing very consistently on everything from gym floors to makeshift courts outside. These guys and girls do anything they can to play,” explained Jensen. “We played with firefighters in Saudi Arabia on a court where they park all their trucks. We played with a bomb squad in the UAE that has a court in their parking lot, too. They really enjoy pickleball just as much as anybody I’ve ever met. You’d think that the Super Bowl was happening when we stepped on base because they’re just chomping at the bit to play. It’s easy to get obsessed with pickleball.”

It certainly is, and Jensen is adamant about providing a memorable experience that gives every participant a chance to focus on something other than their duties for a while.

A short break can definitely go a long way.

“What it really comes down to on bases is people coming together and enjoying a sport that’s healthy, that takes them away from the stress of day-to-day life and their work, and they get to enjoy some quality downtime,” he explained. “Pickleball brings a little bit of that sense of normalcy, that sense of fun and competitiveness, and it’s a stress outlet for them. Being able to do that for our military people who put their lives on the line every single day is really incredible.”

When it’s finally time for Jensen and company to wrap up, they always make a point of thanking everyone for their service and rallying them to keep hitting the court.

That’s what tours like these are all about.

“Everything we do is for these men and women. When we’re leaving, part of it is we try to encourage them, ‘Hey! Keep growing the sport.’ They really love pickleball, and they’re great advocates, especially amongst other members of the military,” concluded Jensen. “They’re growing the sport organically, which is exactly what we’ve done in our local communities.”