Tops in Blue tour-stop brings family together

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Thirty-two Airmen rolled into Enid, Okla., Saturday, June 28, after a two-day drive on a bus without working air conditioning, from Grand Forks, N.D. By Sunday afternoon, they had prepared the Chisholm Trail Expo Center for a performance by Tops in Blue, the Air Force's premier entertainment group.

One member of the team was especially happy to see the Enid city limits sign. Master Sgt. Reginald Booker, the NCO in charge of transportation and the first sergeant for this year's Tops in Blue, would be seeing his wife and two daughters for the first time in a while. 

He was also happy that the air conditioner on the 18-wheeler he drives was working.
Of course, being in charge of transportation meant he would make the bus's air conditioning repair a top priority, right after unloading the semi, getting started on hanging the lights and having something to eat with his wife, Ada Booker, the Non-appropriated Funds Human Resources Officer at Vance AFB in Enid. 

To save time, the team ate dinner at the Expo Center, the first of several meals local sponsors would provide over the weekend. 

This year's world-wide tour, De ja Blue, marks 55 years of performing by Tops in Blue. Team members come from career fields throughout the Air Force for the one-year special duty assignment. 

Before his selection for Tops in Blue, Sergeant Booker was stationed at Sheppard AFB, Texas, where he worked at the Wing Learning Development Center, teaching teachers to teach. 

For Sergeant Booker, selection for the team was "a dream come true." Since the first time he saw a performance in the early 1990s, he wanted to be part of it. "I saw all the electronic equipment and wanted to know what it did," he said. 

In addition to driving the semi-truck filled with equipment, he sets up lights and runs a spotlight during the performance. As the team's first sergeant he helps keep the "family" running smoothly. "We've shared a lot of blood, sweat and tears together." 

A few of those tears come after Sergeant Booker's daily phone calls with his wife, Ada, and the girls. "The 8-year old asks me every day where I am and where I'm going. We have a little geography lesson by phone," he said. 

The 22-year old handles his absence a little better. "We have our bonding moments. Found out the other day she has a boyfriend. Even though she is 22, she is still my baby," the burly master sergeant said. 

"I check their performance calendar every morning to see where my husband is," said Ada Booker. She was happy for him when he learned Tops in Blue had chosen him for the 2008 tour. "He was so excited. While I know it is a good experience for him, I do miss my best friend," she said. 

The 2008 tour will include between 130 and 150 performances around the world. The team will visit places like Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Moron AB, Spain, Volkel AB, Netherlands, Thule AB, Greenland and a 30-day tour to locations where American troops are fighting the Global War on Terrorism. 

When the season finishes in March 2009, the Bookers will be praying for an assignment that will bring the family back together. Ada came to Vance to accept a civil service position in January before Sergeant Booker knew he was selected for Tops in Blue. He was up for an assignment this year and planned to try for Vance. 

"We'll do our part and trust the Lord to handle the rest," said Sergeant Booker.