Maxim salutes the U.S. military with special issue featuring Kellie Pickler, sexy Marine

Maxim Magazine’s second "Salute to the Military" special edition features a country music cutie, a seriously hot Marine, and several of the magazine's iconic Hometown Hotties from across this great land of ours.

"American Idol" veteran and avid military supporter Kelli Pickler graces the cover, and the magazine's head honcho said choosing the singer was a no brainer.

“She is not only beautiful, but she is a USO veteran. She’s been on five tours overseas in the past couple of years," Maxim editor-in-chief Dan Bova told FOX411.com. "She comes from a military family and she has a great love for these guys. It seemed like a perfect marriage of a beautiful woman everybody loves, and she’s an ardent supporter of the military."

Maxim Hometown Hottie 2012 winner Dominique Storelli, who Bova says is "one of the sexiest things in America," is featured in Maxim's salute to the troops, as is former active duty Marine Sergeant Shannon Ihrke.

“You’d never think a Marine could look like this, or a woman who looked like that would want to be a Marine," Bova laughed. "She loves our country. She was active duty for about four years and now is a reservist."

Bova said they put out the special issue of Maxim to provide their fans in the military their upmost support.

“We have an incredible following of guys in the military," he explained. "We’ve gotten letters from guys in Afghanistan saying thanks for doing this magazine. We love these guys. We want to do anything we can for them."

Maxim's "Salute to the Military" hits newsstands across the country on July 31.