New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II will embark on a weeklong, NFL-USO tour to Italy and Germany to visit U.S. troops and their families at military bases, the NFL announced today.

The veteran running back will be joined by Carolina Panthers defensive end Mario Addison, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap, Atlanta Falcons guard Ben Garland, Minnesota Vikings running back Latavius Murray and former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan.

An extension of the NFL's Salute to Service – the League's yearlong work to honor, empower and connect service members through the unifying lens of football and strategic partnerships with impact-driven organizations - this year's NFL-USO tour will feature an array of base activities consisting of unit visits to one-on-one meetings with installation leadership. The NFL ambassadors will also spend quality time with service members and their families, as well as distribute sports-themed USO2GO kits designed to help service members in remote locations relax and recharge.

For over 50 years, the NFL and USO have worked together to support the military and strengthen service members by connecting them to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. In 1966, the NFL teamed with the USO and became the first sports organization to send players on a tour to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East. Since then, more than 250 NFL players, coaches and executives have visited troops on NFL-USO tours in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Somalia and South Korea. In 2008, Commissioner Roger Goodell became the first sports commissioner to visit the troops overseas as part of a USO tour when he visited Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last year, defensive end Cameron Jordan represented the Saints at the NFL's USO tour, greeting troops in several countries and sharing his gratitude for the military men and women in uniform and behind the scenes.