Country songstress LeAnn Rimes strutted through Washington for the troops Tuesday night, appearing at the National Guard Youth Foundation's ChalleNGe Champions Gala in downtown D.C. Rimes wore a partially see-through all black get-up, paired with above-the-knee high heel boots. As she waited to perform (she experienced some technical difficulties) she was asked about her bold fashion choice during an impromptu Q&A. "That's a good question, I actually don't know, I usually would know," Rimes answered when the audience member asked who the boots were by. "If I took them off? That's a whole process, by the way," Rimes continued. "Getting them off is a process." The country singer performed "Nothin' Better to Do" and at least one song from her new album.

"She complained about how tough her life has been the last two years and that she poured her emotions into this song," a source who witnessed the performance told Yeas & Nays.

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Rimes was kept on a pretty tight leash throughout her time in D.C. She did not do interviews and did not talk about why she supported the program once onstage. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe gives high-school dropouts a second chance, helping 115,000 of them return to school and earn a diploma or GED since 1993.

Rimes was accompanied to Washington by husband Eddie Cibrian, though he did not attend the gala. The two were seen together having a late lunch at Georgetown's Farmers Fishers Bakers. The couple, sporting workout wear, snagged a booth by a window and shared some tuna and citrus salmon from the sushi menu as well as the meatless meatloaf and chicken jambalaya. Rimes had a house-made pineapple soda while Cibrian sipped a vanilla one.