United We Roll at Stardust Radio

We would like to send out our congratulations to the 35 members of the 2012 Tops In Blue Tour.

Through interviews with band members who have traveled to deployed areas and played not only for military members, but also for citizens in the local communities, it has come through loud and clear that music has a language of its own. A language that seems to bring people together in the wonder of the instruments, the coordination of their sounds and the talent of those who play them. Not to mention the magnificent voices of the vocalists who can bring feelings that range from smiles to tears with such a variety of tunes and melodies.

Again, congratulations to the 2012 Tops In Blue members.

Release No: 028
Feb. 13, 2012

35 Airmen selected for 2012 Tops in Blue tour
By Erin Tindell
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs

SAN ANTONIO – – Air Force Services Agency officials here recently announced the names of 35 Airmen selected for the 2012 Tops in Blue tour.

In January, more than 80 talented Airmen competed as singers, dancers, musicians, magicians and technicians for Tops in Blue slots during the annual Air Force Worldwide Talent Search at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The selected Airmen will go on to serve as Air Force ambassadors in the Air Force’s premier expeditionary entertainment unit, traveling to over 20 countries and performing more than 120 shows this year.

Members of the 2012 Tops in Blue tour are:

Vocalists
-- Senior Airman Charles Cooper, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
-- Senior Airman Jessica Cunningham, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.
-- 1st Lt. Ashley Elmore, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
-- Senior Airman Robin Elrod, Osan AB, Korea
-- Airman 1st Class Joseph Hardeman, Cannon AFB, N.M.
-- Airman 1st Class Briana Hofreiter, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
-- Senior Airman Joanell Jackson, Fort Stewart, Ga.
-- Staff Sgt. Tyron Jones, Yokota AB, Japan
-- Airman 1st Class Joseph Kay, Dyess AFB, Texas
-- Airman 1st Class Jonathan Leak, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
-- Master Sgt. Matthew Lemieux, Ramstein AB, Germany
-- Senior Airman Emmanuel Maldonado Rosario, Keesler AFB, Miss.
-- Tech. Sgt. Tonie Marshall, Holloman AFB, N.M.
-- Senior Airman Kerrilee Meeker, Patrick AFB, Fla.
-- 2nd Lt. Joseph Mitchell, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom
-- 1st Lt. Kandis Rich, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
-- Airman 1st Class Timothy Sentz, Scott AFB, Ill.
-- Senior Airman Brandi Skillman, Minot AFB, N.D.
-- Staff Sgt. Gilbert Tarnate, Travis AFB, Calif.

Instrumentalists
-- Airman 1st Class Alexander Allred, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
-- Airman 1st Class Kenneth Del Valle Ruiz, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
-- Staff Sgt. Daniel Knight, Peterson AFB, Colo.
-- Airman 1st Class Jessica Pitts, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
-- Tech. Sgt. Gabriel Stocker, Gunter AFB, Ala.
-- Staff Sgt. Joshua Tarrant, Buckley AFB, Colo.
-- Airman 1st Class Wynton Warren, Kadena AB, Japan
-- Staff Sgt. Anthony Williams, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
-- Senior Airman Kyle Willis,Whiteman AFB, Mo.

Technicians
-- Senior Airman Ruth Bryce, Tinker AFB, Okla.
-- Senior Airman Brian Corsetti, Nellis AFB, Nev.
-- Airman 1st Class Nicholas Grazulis, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
-- Master Sgt. Kristopher Kobernus, Ramstein AB, Germany
-- Tech. Sgt. Michael Menges, Eglin AFB, Fla.
-- Airman 1st Class Roger Payne, Shaw AFB, S.C.
-- Airman 1st Class Julian Saviano, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

After completing a training regimen at Lackland AFB, the new Tops in Blue team will hit the road in June.

For a schedule of Tops in Blue performances or more information, visit www.topsinblue.com. Follow Tops in Blue at www.twitter.com/aftopsinblue, the Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/topsinblue or read blog entries at http://tib.dodlive.mil.

- 30 -