Tops In Blue completes successful AOR tour

by Erin Tindell
Air Force Services Agency Public Affairs

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Deployed U.S. and coalition forces supporting the war on terror downrange received a chance to pause from their duties recently during the Tops In Blue month-long performance tour.

Tops In Blue is the Air Force’s premier entertainment unit for Airmen, other military personnel and international audiences worldwide at home and deployed locations. The team is comprised of 35 vocalists, musicians and audio-visual technicians who promote community relations, support recruiting efforts and serve as ambassadors for the U.S.

The theme for this year’s tour is “We Believe” and includes more than 25 songs including R&B, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and pop. Each year, the team spends a month performing downrange to help maintain a high level of morale for those working in dangerous and austere conditions.

The team said its goal was to not only entertain the troops, but give them a chance to clear their minds and motivate them for their missions.

“Performing in the AOR has been a truly humbling experience,” said Tech. Sgt. Katie Badowski, a vocalist on the 2010 team who is a reservist with the 446th Services Flight at McChord Air Force Base, Wash. “I've had the privilege to perform for those that need it the most: the men and women who step beyond ‘the wire’ risking their lives for others and the support personnel who continually provide services to keep our armed forces safe and happy. It’s been amazing.”

According to the team, performing for joint and international audiences broadened their scope of how forces from all over the world band together to help fight the war on terror.

“It was a lot of work to set up the shows at bare bones locations, but it was very meaningful to know we’re all fighting the same fight,” said Staff Sgt. Rodney Mays, the team’s bass player and a cyber transport craftsman with the Air Education and Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas.

Comments left by deployed personnel on the team’s Facebook page expressed enthusiasm for having the team perform for them and how team members displayed nothing but positive attitudes.

“It’s such a huge morale boost to go to entertainment shows like the Tops In Blue while you’re deployed,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Dechant, a guardsman from the 111th Fighter Wing recently deployed to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, as a small computers technician. “Having those songs stuck in my head for weeks after the performance always made me smile; especially those that reminded me of friends or family back home.”

According to Airman 1st Class Megan Harvey, a vocalist and maintainer at Barksdale AFB, La., the team wanted to give deployed Airmen a quick pause so they could enjoy good music and laugh a little.

“Knowing that we could possibly help their mission by allowing them to take a breath, go back in and fight harder was a true honor,” she said.

Upon returning to the U.S. after its tour of the AOR, the team continued to showcase its joint spirit during their performance at Lackland AFB, Texas. To close out the show, the team invited members of the U.S. Army’s Soldier Show on stage with them to sing Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.

“It was a goose bump kind of moment,” said Gina Velasquez, an audience member at the show.

For more information about Tops In Blue and a complete schedule of 2010 performances, visit www.topsinblue.com.