Tops In Blue performs at Presidio of Monterey

  • Published
  • By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven L. Shepard
  • 517th Training Group
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. --  Hosted by the 517th Training Group, the Air Forces' Expeditionary Entertainers, Tops in Blue, performed for the very first time at the Presidio of Monterey on June 11 as part of their 2009 "To Dream" tour.

Tops in Blue provided 90 minutes of live entertainment for the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center's multi-service crowd at Soldier Field during a show that featured historic and pop culture themes. The song and dance show featured music and costumes that recreated the likeness of famous past entertainers such as Elvis Presley and "Satchmo" Louis Armstrong.

The set included a wide variety of musical genres that covered everything from country to rock to soul. Also included in the show was traditional Hawaiian music, complete with floral-print shirts and ukuleles. The show concluded with patriotic songs dedicated to armed forces members who are fighting in harms way.

Tops in Blue, which is a self-sustained operational unit, arrived in Monterey a day earlier to allow time for the assembly of a stage and equipment which is done by the performing team. A typical show will involve setting up more than 80,000 pounds of staging, lighting, audio, and special effects gear.

The Commander of the 517 TRG, Col. William Bare, said that the Tops in Blue performance was a great shot in the arm for the Airmen of Monterey.

"What a fantastic night! We had many Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines present, as well as civic leaders from the community. We brought a little piece of the Air Force right here to the Presidio and showed them what Air Force pride is all about." Col. Bare said. "We have so many talented young Airmen in our force. It was incredibly inspirational to witness their energy and enthusiasm."

One of those talented Airmen in Tops in Blue was Senior Airman Meagan Kelly, a DLIFLC alumna. Returning to the Presidio as part of the 35 active-duty Air Force troupe, Kelly is a vocalist/dancer who has been with Tops in Blue since March 2009.

Kelly was selected through a process that involved submitting a videotape to Air Force Entertainment demonstrating music or technical ability. According to Master Sgt. James Green, Air Force Entertainment received approximately two hundred video tapes this year for consideration. From these candidates 80 were chosen to participate in a ten-day, team-oriented audition at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

"It's been an amazing process," Kelly explained about the training they had endured since March while preparing for the 2009 tour. "All of us arrive here basically untrained and they turn us into a team of professionals."

Kelly said her return to the Presidio of Monterey brings back a lot of memories and lists graduating from DLIFLC as one of her greatest accomplishments.

"Studying Arabic is like trying to drink from a fire-hose on full blast," Kelly said. "It was a great challenge which prepared me for further challenges such as participating in Tops in Blue."

Kelly offered this advice to her fellow Airmen and other students currently studying at the Defense Language Institute.

"Hang in there," she said, "there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is a great light with a lot of opportunity."

When asked what she is looking forward to most, Kelly replied "I'm looking forward to going to the desert and performing for the troops over there."

Tops in Blue will travel to England later in June and then downrange. It will be their first overseas show of a 2009 tour that includes performances all across the globe.

Tops in Blue serves as an expeditionary entertainment unit to provide quality entertainment to military personnel stationed worldwide while simultaneously promoting community relations, and serving as ambassadors for the United States of America.

Colonel Bare summed it up, "This was a unique and fantastic opportunity for our young Airmen to see a little bit of their service heritage and to build their sense of pride of being in the U.S. Air Force. I know we've come away from here tonight much prouder to be Airmen and more determined to do the best job we can here on the Presidio."

Additionally, Senior Airman Jennifer Bone, assigned to the 17th Communications Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base, is performing with the 2009 Tops In Blue.