Warriors of the North welcome back Tops in Blue

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Xavier Navarro
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS, N.D. --  The Air Force's Tops in Blue performed December 2 at the Chester Fritz Auditorium on the University of North Dakota campus and brought along two members from Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Grand Forks was the 57th show out of 73 and is last stop in the United States before heading overseas to see deployed troops.

Maj. Michael Rose, 69th Reconnaissance Group group executive officer, and 2nd Lt. Nicque Robinson, 319th Contracting Flight contracting specialist, both started their Tops in Blue experience in June and have been on the road for seven months.

"The biggest surprise to me in Tops in Blue was not only am I a vocalist in the show, but I am in charge of building the stage," said Robinson.  "I didn't know how involved I would become and its really cool as a lieutenant to have a job like staging director."

Many Airmen selected for Tops in Blue are tasked with multiple jobs and are not just performers.

"I am the officer-in-charge, a tour director and the keyboardist for Tops in Blue," said Rose. "I am proud of acquiring certain skills on the piano that I have not had before, but also proud of acquiring leadership skills."

Rose supervises and looks after 34 members through good and bad trials.

"A team being down is caused by individuals; to solve that problem you have to go speak with that individual," said Rose. "You have to build that member up and hopefully they responds back positively."

It's no surprise that with performing all around the world Tops in Blue has a busy and tight schedule.

"There are days like this where we had a show last night which ended at 1 a.m. and got up at 6 a.m.," said Robinson. "We loaded up the bus and came straight to Grand Forks which we are in the process of setting up and performing a show later and then tear down tomorrow morning."

Members of Tops in Blue will head back to their home base and return to do their jobs after their tour is over.

"I am actually excited to come back," said Robinson. "I want to see what I can accomplish as a contracting specialist with this new fire under me."

Rose mentions that he will take every opportunity that he can to improve his craft of playing piano, but his priorities are his job, church and family.

"I am excited about the opportunity that the Air Force has provided to me as an individual and to be part of a group like Tops in Blue," said Rose. "Music has that ability to penetrate different cultures and touch your heart in a way. Everybody around the world speaks the language of music."