Senior Airman Timothy Sentz

By Senior Airman Timothy Sentz
Tops in Blue vocalist
Home station: 375th Communications Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.

Each year around the halfway point of the tour, every team participates in a week-long activity called “mid-tour staging.” The point of that week is to go back into training mode to clean up mistakes and weak spots in the show and to prepare more material to make the show better.  I’m not going to lie when I say a part of me was nervous heading into it.  However, I take my performance extremely seriously and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to push myself and our show to the next level.
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It was definitely a shock going back to working long hours and practicing all day.  It definitely took my body a few days to adjust (just in time to head back on the road of course). However, in that week I feel like I’ve been able to grow so much as an artist and overall as a person. Our performance director, Mr. Jones, definitely gave me a ton of inspiration to push myself to be so much better than I had been before.
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As a performer, I learned to take pride in what we do and to always push myself to get stronger and stronger. As a person, I learned that the only thing keeping you from doing the things you want to do in life is you. This life is too short to put off reaching your goals and obtaining the things you want in life.
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At this moment, I’m sitting on a C-17 flying to the Azores to begin our European trip! I can’t express how excited I am for this leg of the tour. However, I’m extremely grateful to have put in so much work during this past week to prepare the show and am thankful to the staff that invested so much of their time to make us better. I truly believe that on both the individual and the group level we have grown so much stronger and sharper as a team. As it turns out, mid-tour staging seems to have been just what to doctor ordered after all.
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 We’re going to light up Europe and I can’t wait!

Staff Sgt. Anthoney Williams

By Staff Sgt. Anthoney Williams
Tops in Blue trumpet player
Home station: 633rd Engineer Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

I’ve been on the Tops in Blue team for about six months and I’ve experienced a different set of rewards and challenges from my previous TIB tour in 2009.   A lot of times on tour, I find myself comparing the two teams.  I definitely don’t want to be the “prior” TIB performer who always talks about how we did things on the previous TIB team.  The 2009 tour was a great experience, but now I’m striving to make our 2012 tour an even better one.

I’m sure a lot of prior TIB members always hear the same question – “Why did you decide to go on tour again?” The reason I chose to do it again was to be more of a team leader this time around.  On my first TIB tour, I was an airman 1st class making my transition to senior airman.  I was a little narrow minded and young at the time, but I enjoyed performing and meeting new people across the Air Force.  It was only at the end of my 2009 tour that I began to understand what I was doing, but by then it was a bit too late. 

Now, I’m a staff sergeant who still enjoys performing and meeting new people, but I also understand why it’s important to uphold a good image, use customs and courtesies at all times, be thankful, uphold the core values and entertain my fellow Airmen and their families. I am an ambassador for the United States of America and the U.S. Air Force and my image and demeanor matter.  Not only to help me with my military career, but in life as well. I hope to teach our new 2012 TIB members the same lessons I learned to help them grow and develop into great performers and Airmen.

Senior Airman Brandi Skillman

By Senior Airman Brandi Skillman
Tops in Blue vocalist
Home station: 5th Force Support Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

For me, being on tour has been the greatest, hardest, most challenging, stressful and rewarding experience of my entire life! I’m learning a lot about myself and also how to live with 35 other people on a daily basis. Of course, it took some time adjusting to the Tops In Blue lifestyle. I’ve cried while dancing, danced for 16 to 18 hours a day, sang myself to sleep and I’ve loved every minute of it. My absolute favorite part of being on tour is traveling. Traveling on the bus and seeing all of the different stops all over the United States that I have never seen.

I’ve also ran into so many friends they I’ve made throughout my career who had no idea I were in and on tour. They were so proud and it made me realize exactly what this program really does for people. I understood that even more when we recently went to the desert to entertain the troops. I’ve been deployed before, so I knew firsthand what it’s like to have limited entertainment and how nice it is to have your spirits lifted. It was great going back to Southwest Asia and see how much has changed since I was there in 2010. I never thought I would be back to help boost troop morale there. It was so humbling to see the faces my fellow Airmen who appreciated us taking them away from their everyday stressors for an 1.5-hour show.

We also turned a huge corner within the TIB team and became so much closer as a unit. This was very humbling. We cried together, laughed and argued just like a real family. We have grown so much and I can’t wait to see what stories and experiences are awaiting us go on the road for the midwest portion of our tour.

Airman 1st Class Timothy Sentz

By Airman 1st Class
Timothy Sentz
Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

We’re about halfway through our bus ride to Minot Air Force Base, N.D. I’ve spent much of the trip catching up on lost sleep. However, I also use our bus rides to zone out and collect my thoughts. It’s a great time to sit back, put some music on (music that‘s not music from the show), and reflect on the previous day’s events. I find it increasingly more important on the road to have those moments to regroup and reflect. There’s a lot to think about while we’re on tour and it can be overwhelming at times.  We each have our own individual responsibilities to keep the tour running smoothly along with keeping fit, practicing choreography and finding time to squeeze in some fun here and there. I’m proud of how well I’ve handled the stress and juggled my seemingly increasing responsibilities so far.

The past few days in Montana have been amazing. The scenery out there was breathtaking and it was even more interesting trying to take pictures of that beautiful scenery on horseback! We were blessed with a day off. It’s been a total blast and I’ve enjoyed using those days to grow closer to my teammates. 

I think our show the next day benefited from our time off. It seemed like we came in that morning with guns blazing. The people there were in great moods and ready to work. The prior tour members who came to help out were awesome and extremely helpful. I picked up a lot of great advice. When it came time for the show, we were ready to rock and roll. It was definitely one of our strongest performances (at least from what I could see). 

So far, I’m having an incredible experience being on tour and we’re only a few weeks in! I’m so excited for the road ahead and I can’t wait to experience it with my fellow team members. 

Watch out! TIB 2012 is coming your way and we’re ready to rock!

1st Lt. Kandis Rich

By 1st Lt. Kandis Rich
Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

I am in the best physical shape of my life! Not only have I lost weight and toned up, but I also got my first excellent on my bi-annual fitness test! As I told my parents, the Tops in Blue workout plan really works. When I first arrived at the TIB production center, I was told that any weight and physical fitness goals I set were possible and achievable. I have gained confidence as a performer and now I am also more confident in my physical fitness capabilities.

The energy that we put into our shows require stamina and we treat every night like it is opening night. As a result, I will dance just as hard tonight as I did last night and as I will tomorrow night. Every audience deserves the best show that I can give and I am able to provide that energy because of my training and meeting the standards required of an Airman. As a member of an elite organization, it is my Airmen’s duty to not just meet the standard, but exceed it. This program has challenged me to be the best Airman I can be and is truly more than “just singing and dancing.”

Senior Airman Julian Saviano

By Senior Airman Julian Saviano
Joint Base Langely-Eustis, Va.

The tour has been an interesting experience thus far. It’s cool to visit different parts of America that I have not seen before. That being said, the different foods I have been privileged to enjoy have also been quite the experience. We are still in America, but I recently had the best Danish of my life in Oakland, Calif.

One of the toughest parts about being on tour is not being able to see my son. This past father’s day was my first one and everyone on the team congratulated me. It was a nice gester, but it made me miss him that much more. It has been quite a challenge to go on tour and leave my son. But, I keep reminding myself that it only lasts a year and I’m doing what I love to do.

I’m excited about all the different opportunities being on tour offers me. I’ve never been out of the country and now I’m going to more than 20 different countries in a single year. Not very many people get to say that. I’m loving everything that I do. I’m working very hard and 22-hour days are not uncommon. Days off are few and far between, but it is worth every second that I’m here.

Airman 1st Class Jessica Pitts

By Airman 1st Class Jessica Pitts
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany

It has been an interesting road so far on tour and I’ve been able to grow a lot as a musician. I never knew my lips could get so dry from playing my trumpet. Every morning, I wake up with swollen lips. But, playing 16 hours a day can do that to you and now I have “chops of steel.”

Sleep is something you cherish in Tops in Blue because you don’t really get much of it. At one point, I caught myself falling asleep while playing. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to get to know so many different people. Now that we are on tour, I can truly see how much of a blessing this really is. It brings me great pleasure to hear how happy we make people feel when they see our show. After a recent show, one kind, elderly lady came up to me and said, “Thank you for just making my day much brighter.” I absolutely love the fact that we can make a difference in people’s lives.

At first, setting up and tearing down the stage was a bit frustrating because I had no idea what I was doing. But now that I have a few shows under my belt, it is much more pleasant. Doing an actual show is my favorite part of being on tour, but unfortunately it is only 20 percent of what we do. I love performing. I’m trying to learn how to pace myself so I can hit all the triple Cs at the end of the
show in tune and with a good tone. I’m almost there. It’s slightly difficult to pace yourself when you are all hyped up from the crowd. That’s when discipline comes in to play.

We recently had our first day off since Easter, which was spent sight-seeing in Las Vegas. I never knew Nevada had such beautiful scenery. It was really nice to have a little time to relax. Today, we have a show outside. I pray I’m drinking enough water because setting up the stage in this heat is not going to be easy. But, I’m looking forward to more growing more as a performer and TIB member.

Senior Airman Roger Payne

By Senior Airman Roger Payne
Tops in Blue audio engineer
Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

We have been on tour for more than three weeks and it has been a roller coaster ride for sure. As the Tops in Blue audio engineer, I’m responsible for ensuring our audiences get the best sound from our performances as possible. This job is no easy task, but I’m committed to doing my best to help showcase our talents and abilities as Airmen and Tops in Blue members.

I constantly listen to the quality and clarity of the sound from our shows for many hours that leave my mind exhausted. Add our other duties we have like setting up and tearing down the stage, and that leaves me physically exhausted as well. My body aches and I’m fighting off injuries, but in the end, I know it is all worth it.

We have already been to Tucson, Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Francisco during our first three weeks on tour. I’ve been to places I never thought I would get to visit in my life and I’ve had a blast in all of them. The one thing I’ve learned to appreciate is the 15 minutes I get here and there to sit back and enjoy the view of the amazing countryside we get to travel through. We just performed at a children’s hospital in Oakland, Calif., and it was the best and worst moments I’ve had on tour so far. It tore me up inside to think about all the pain these kids are going through, but it felt so good to perform for them and put smiles on their faces for just a little bit.