Tops In Blue claims Hurlburt loadmaster for 2010 tour

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacy Fowler
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  The Air Force's premiere entertainment ensemble, Tops In Blue, selected the performers for its 2010 tour - and an MC-130 loadmaster from Hurlburt Field, Fla., made the final cut.

Staff Sgt. Steven Sonnier, 1st Special Operations Group, leaves next week to begin several months of training before taking his performance to stages around the world.

"Being selected as a member of Tops In Blue is the realization of a dream," he said, "I know what the men and women go through on deployments, and I know firsthand the joy of seeing your brothers- and sisters-in-arms singing music that touches you or reminds you of home."

Sergeant Sonnier and the other 73 Airmen will assemble at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to begin rigorous staging procedures and rehearsals on Mar. 7. And for the performers it's more than finding out what songs and dance moves they have to learn, said Sergeant Sonnier.

"We're not like a USO show. We do everything ourselves - our entire stage, our lights, everything," he said. "On a daily basis I am working hand-in-hand, 16 to 18 hours a day, with professional musicians, choreographers and technicians who are as passionate about music and the program as I am."

After completing training at Lackland AFB, the 2010 entertainment company will begin a 10-month tour in May, visiting more than 20 countries and performing more than 120 shows with this year's theme: "We Believe."

"Tops In Blue members are the physical manifestation of the core values and ideals that make the U.S. Air Force the best Air Force in the world," Sergeant Sonnier said. "This program...provides comfort to the people who need it most: the men and women serving their country, and the friends and family of those heroes."