It’s no different for the Air Force’s premiere entertainment showcase, Tops In Blue, whose focus has been to entertain military members, their families and civilian communities for more than 60 years.
This year’s TIB team members reported here March 23 for their 60-day training period and quickly began the rigorous 10-12 hour days of physical exercise, dancing, singing and musicianship training to prepare them for the spotlight.
Second Lt. Lauren Rogers, a public affairs officer with the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and TIB singer and dancer, said she didn’t really know what to expect but knew it wouldn’t be easy.
“When I saw Tops In Blue last year at Misawa for the first time, I was so impressed by the discipline and every step was on point,” the lieutenant said. “That’s kind of what motivated me to be a part of it … I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work but it would be worth it because the show is phenomenal,” Rogers said.
Rogers, whose been singing and performing since the age of five, said she never thought she’d have the opportunity to showcase and perfect her talents as a member of the Air Force.
“It’s a great opportunity that we’re thankful to be a part of,” she said.
Captain Michael Rose, a group executive officer from Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, and TIB officer in charge and keyboardist, has a similar background to Rogers. His mother started teaching him how to play the piano as a youngster.
He considers the opportunity to perform in TIB “extraordinary.”
“It’s unbelievable that the Air Force has programs for strong performers, whether it be the athletes program, or great pilots or musicians that can come down (here) and do Tops In Blue,” he said, and he’s excited about the camaraderie that’s already building within the team.
“In the Air Force, it’s hard to find a bunch of creative-minded people, all at the same place at the same time doing the exact same thing with the same mission,” Rose said.
Staff Sgt. Steven Lucas is an airfield management operations supervisor at Moron AB, Spain, and a male vocalist and dancer with the team. He started singing seriously in high school and performed in community theater as an adult, but said he hadn’t really sung much since joining the Air Force.
“When I saw (TIB) was an opportunity for me, I jumped on it,” he said.
“Being airfield management, we don’t normally have a lot of manning most of the time so it’s kind of hard for us to do things like this … being at that unit and having them being so supportive and giving me the opportunity to be here, I definitely want to go back and show them what I’ve learned and just entertain them,” Lucas added.
The team members noted several reasons for wanting to be on the road with TIB, but all of them shared one common goal – entertaining fellow military members and their families.
“The biggest reward is getting on stage and performing for families, or deployed Air Force personnel who are away from family, and just bringing them a little piece of home for that (time) that we’re on stage,” Rogers said.
This year’s team hits the road for its global tour in mid-May on a schedule that runs through late December. A tour schedule will be available at https://www.usafservices.com/TopsInBlue.aspx later this spring.