The United States Marine Corps is no stranger to high-profile guests.  Katy Perry once filmed an entire music video, that aside from insinuating women should shave their heads prior to enlistment, served as much as a recruiting commercial as it did a chance for Perry to strut her stuff.  These kinds of deals are beneficial for both the celebrity, and the Corps in a number of ways, and now you can add Kate Upton to the list of celebs that are eager to get in the mud with Marines… at least long enough for a photo-op.

While seemingly silly, it’s important to remember that our American military infrastructure depends on young men and women choosing to forgo the comforts of being your average teenager in America (which, despite their complaints levied daily on social media, is a pretty sweet gig) in favor of long hours, often doing grueling work, and all with the promise of the Huffington Post insinuating your service made you a racist one day.  When you think about it like that, it makes a lot of sense that the Corps chases some positive PR every now and then; which is just what a group of women like Kate Upton and the Detroit Tigers Wives (an organized group of spouses of players from the Detroit Tigers) offered the Marines in Detroit on Tuesday.

I’ve always had a lot of respect for our military, but the Marine Corps showed me a whole new level with their workout today,” said Kate Upton after a joint workout led by Gunnery Sergeant Sara Pacheco. “What I enjoyed the most was spending time with them and I’m really looking forward to Marine Week in September in Detroit. It will be an incredible way for the entire community to get to know the Marines and their mission like I was able to today.”

Pacheco is a force fitness instructor stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia – and she’ll also be in attendance at Marine Week Detroit to host workout sessions that are open to the public.  It will offer civilians a chance to not only work out like Kate Upton did, but to see the types of group PT (physical training) often employed by Marine Corps units, an important part of the branch’s culture and a large facet of daily life in the service.