Tops in Blue visits Eielson

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Coleman
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Tops in Blue entertained hundreds of Icemen and their families by performing more than 20 songs in an hour and a half long performance at the base theater here Jan. 8 and 9.

"To Dream", this year's theme, is Tops in Blue's celebration of giving audiences the best in family entertainment.

"Our goal is to give the troops a piece of home," said Senior Airman Jennifer Bone, one of the Tops in Blue vocalists. "It's a time where they can forget their hardships if only for an hour and a half."

These talented entertainers took Icemen on a journey of dreams both old and new, through performances from a wide variety of genres to satisfy their listeners. There was music for the young and the young at heart, along with great patriotic music.

"I thought they did a fantastic job especially with the set up and they only had two days," said Hannah Locke, a human resource advisor for Non-appropriated Funds. "I'm a fan of live music and was quite entertained."

Tops in Blue serves as an expeditionary entertainment unit to provide quality entertainment from within Air Force resources specifically for the Air Force family, with priority to personnel stationed worldwide at remote and deployed locations. They also simultaneously promote community relations, support recruiting efforts and serve as ambassadors for the United States of America and the United States Air Force.

"I had never heard about Tops in Blue and after hearing them while deployed to Iraq, I decided to try out," said Senior Airman Johnny Magbanua, another Tops in Blue vocalist. "When auditioning in San Antonio, the team performed for us and I was blown away."

After performing in both Iraq and Qatar, one of his hopes is to bring family a little closer.
 
"Maybe I played for a husband who was deployed and a wife back home and they'll be able to share a moment while so far away," he said.

To date, Tops in Blue has traveled more than four million miles to military bases throughout the world, performed at six World Fairs, more than 100 state fairs and festivals, and performed at countless air shows, military balls and special events.

Although the mission of Tops in Blue is currently multi-faceted in meeting the needs of the Air Force, it still maintains the original concept of "family entertaining family".