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380AEW Article

Tops In Blue wraps up desert tour in Southwest Asia

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson
  • 380th AEW Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Air Force entertainers celebrate 55th anniversary with deployers

380th Air Expeditionary Wing deployers attended Tops In Blue's final show of their desert tour in Southwest Asia Sunday.

The group was originally scheduled to perform one show at 8 p.m., but added their first-ever 1 a.m. show based on a request from Brig. Gen. H.D. Polumbo, Jr., 380th Air Expeditionary Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Slater. The two shows better supported the various shift workers manning the 24-hour operational duty day.

"Our goal is to give the wing commander what he needs for the morale of his Airmen," said Edward Jones, Tops In Blue performance director. "We do that by adapting to the needs of the wing commanders and the deployers."

After their 1 a.m. premier, Tops In Blue followed up with an 8 p.m. performance Sunday, lighting up the pavilion and filling it with music to repeated rounds of applause.

"The show was a fantastic boost for the folks here; we appreciate the Tops In Blue performers and their support team for brightening up our deployment," said General Polumbo. "They went out of their way to acknowledge our unique situation here at this deployed location. They did a tremendous job keeping our spirits high and helping us press forward with flying the tasking order every day."

The show kicked off with a solo of "Over the Rainbow" and proceeded for the next two hours to highlight the talents of musicians, singers and dancers. The Deja Blue tour comprises elements from the past 55 years that Tops In Blue has been in existence. The group performed a musical version of the Airman's Creed and brought the crowd to their feet for the Air Force Song.

"The show was awesome," said Tech. Sgt. Oscar Campos, the Plans and Programs Flight superintendent for the 380th Expeditionary Communications Squadron. "The performers were very professional and enthusiastic"

The 24 active-duty entertainers, three technicians, and one performance director conducted 12 shows at 11 stops in 21 days at various deployed locations on their 2008 Deja Blue Tour. The Air Force's premier entertainment showcase is as expeditionary as any unit, deploying with only one-fourth of the equipment they use at non-deployed performances while sustaining a high-ops tempo.

"We don't perform to our comfort level, these shows are about the people in the audience," Mr. Jones said. "We try to go where and when we might be needed most: the desert in July, the northern-tier locations in December ..."

Although the needs of the deployers come first, the Tops In Blue team doesn't go away empty handed. "I love what we do," said Capt. Courtney E. Wallace, singer and tour director. "I love the desert. I feel like we're bringing a little bit of home to the folks here. I hope we give them a reprieve, as well."

Captain Wallace is a Registered Nurse at the Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, when not on tour. "This is saving lives in a whole different light from the perspective of a nurse," she said.

The crowd responded to the performers' desire to raise their spirits, building a bond that is likely to last well beyond the fading echoes of the closing act.

To comment on the show, find out how to become a member or to download some of their releases, visit www.topsinblue.com.