Dover Airmen are 'Tops'

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel Taylor
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Three members of Team Dover were chosen to join the Air Force's Tops in Blue band Jan. 8, 2011.

Senior Airman Alexandria Yeddo, 436th Communications Squadrons client support technician, Senior Airman Scott Williams, 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace maintenance technician and Staff Sgt. Rosalyn Moody, 436th Aerial Port Squadron cargo processing supervisor, were among 34 servicemembers selected from more than 300 applicants from Air Force bases around the world.

"To make the cut, these Airmen have to be the full package, with excellent stage presence, personality and musical talent," said Terri McGhee, the operations coordinator for Air Force Entertainment at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

In addition to being excellent stage performers, Tops in Blue members must be physically and mentally fit to handle the stresses of touring.

"The first few months of the tour, the performers go through a rigorous training period to prepare them for the mental and physical requirements of their job," said Ms. McGhee. "They undergo sleep deprivation, intense physical training, and hours of rehearsals."

Since the group has no road crew, they are responsible for unloading, setting up, taking down, and loading more than 64,000 pounds of stage equipment. The group also handles its own lighting and sound systems.

"They are all adapting well to this new structured lifestyle," said Edward Jones, the performance director for Tops in Blue. "Both Airman Yeddo and Sergeant Moody have beautiful, powerful voices, and Airman Williams is a talented bass player."

Airman Yeddo's vocal performance was so impressive she was recognized as one of the top three vocalists in this year's Tops in Blue world-wide talent audition.

"This was Airman Yeddo's second time applying for Tops in Blue," said Mr. Jones. "She has shown a definite improvement."

Dover's Airmen are now part of a long tradition of Air Force entertainment. Tops in Blue, established in 1953, encompasses artistically and technically talented Airmen in its mission to boost the morale of servicemembers across the globe. Performers go on permissive temporary duty status for the year-long tour which includes shows in deployed locations.

"[Tops in Blue] goes places where most stars won't, such as the desert in July, or Alaska in January," said Mr. Jones. "We want to give servicemembers a chance to escape their stress for an hour-and-a-half and simply enjoy themselves."

Tops in Blue is not only interested in recruiting musicians and vocalists. Lighting technicians, sound engineers and drivers are also part of the group's staff. Auditions for new group members are scheduled to begin late this year, and all the necessary information for applying is on www.topsinblue.com