News

Tops in Blue rolls into town Sunday

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Senior Airman Thomas Henderson joined the Air Force in part because of his love of travel.

But when he ended up stationed at Robins, it didn't exactly fulfill his desire to work in exotic locations around the world. However, he found a way to scratch his travel itch quite a lot by joining Tops in Blue, a group of all active-duty Air Force personnel who travel the world performing a variety show for military members and the general public.

After visiting such locales as Korea, Germany, Italy and even a small, remote island off Alaska, Airman Henderson is returning home this weekend for a performance of Tops in Blue at the Warner Robins Civic Center.

The free show starts at 7 p.m. on Sunday, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The arena typically fills up for the show, so those attending might want to get there early.

That's also probably the only time they will get a glimpse of Airman Henderson, who is the stage director. He is typically seen working on stage before and after the show, but he is backstage during the event.

Although working in Tops in Blue might seem like an easy gig, Airman Henderson said otherwise. The 27-member crew typically works 18-hour days, seven days per week, because everyone in the show is also responsible for tear down and set up of the stage.

"A lot of people think it's like a vacation but I've never worked so hard in my life," he said.

Although they usually perform only one show in a day, by the time the set is torn down, loaded on a truck and moved to the next location for set up, it makes for a long day.

When there is an occasional day off, he said, the first inclination is to stay home and rest, but he usually tries to take advantage of it to tour the area when he can.

His one-year stint with the group began in March of last year. They did a 3-week tour in Iraq, but Airman Henderson missed out on that trip because he was asked to stay home and do some redesign on the set.

The show includes singing and dancing to a variety of musical styles, and it also has a comedian.

At Robins, Airman Henderson works in the 78th Communications Squadron, where he sets up public address systems for various events around the base. His technical skills for such work have vastly improved through his experience with Tops in Blue, he said.

"That's going to be like a walk in the park now," he said of his Robins job, which he will return to in March.

As stage director, he is responsible for the sound boards, lighting, stage construction and tear down.

"One thing I've probably learned a lot is leadership skills," he said. "In my position as stage director, it gets pushed upon you," he said.

Master Sgt. Tim Leanhart, who is Airman Henderson's first sergeant at Robins, called it a priviledge to have someone from the 78th CS in the show.

"The representation they give to the whole Air Force to be able to display and showcase their talents, and to give them the opportunity to represent not only the Air Force but also Robins Air Force Base is just a huge honor," he said.