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Tops in Blue performing high energy show Jan. 15

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melissa Estevez
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Il. --  

Tops in Blue is back in town to perform their free family event Jan. 15 at Mascoutah's High School Auditorium starting at 7 p.m.

"It's great to be able to see them once again," said Tom Rector, Community Support flight chief. "The Airmen have worked hard all year long to bring us a great show, so I hope everyone will come out to support them in this very high-energy performance!"

Tops in Blue is an active duty entertainment group made up of 40 Airmen who were selected from a wide variety of Air Force career fields, including maintenance, medical, communications and intelligence. They are some of the most talented vocalists, musicians, and dancers in the military, said Rector.

It is one of the oldest and most widely traveled entertainment groups of its kind, and their mission is to raise morale and educate audiences through musical performance. Today's Tops in Blue evolved from what was the Air Force's worldwide talent contest in 1953 to showcase the talents of Airmen through other venues besides sports and athletics. Through the years the original concept of "family entertaining family" has been maintained.

After this show, the Tops in Blue program will be on hiatus for the 2016 season to allow Air Force officials to review the program. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James noted the topic was often a discussion during her base all calls with Airmen.

Combined with today's fiscal realities and resource constraints, and changing Airmen demographics and entertainment preferences, James sought additional feedback from Airmen about the program. In consideration of this feedback from a wide range of Airmen, the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force made the decision to take a pause in the Tops in Blue program to reassess its mission, venue, themes and cost.

"The feedback indicated this was not a cut-and-dry decision," explained Brig. Gen. Lenny Richoux, the director of Air Force Services. "There are Airmen who enjoyed the performance, and we do care about what Airmen value. However, considering a changing demand for entertainment combined with constrained resources, it is important that we take a look at alternatives and ask for a broad base of inputs and opinions."

Richoux said the Air Force Services Activity will consider a wide range of options to both entertain and educate Airmen. Some of those include increased use of contracted musical, sports-related, and other professional acts in both deployed and home station locations. Other options include modifying the Tops in Blue program to include messages and teaching moments for Airmen that talk to the real challenges associated with military life.