Tops in Blue Season Canceled

The Air Force has canceled the 2016 season of Tops in Blue, in part because of feedback from airmen, according to a release. An internal survey indicated widespread awareness of Tops in Blue, and about half of airmen surveyed said they would attend a future event—though only about a quarter of all airmen have seen a Tops in Blue performance in the past five years. An official survey of the major commands and bases showed only about 19 percent of troops polled were in favor of keeping Tops in Blue as ?is. The feedback prompted Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh to “take a pause in the Tops in Blue program to reassess its mission, venue, themes, and cost,” according to the release. “The feedback indicated this was not a cut-and-dry decision. There are airmen who enjoyed the performance, and we do care about what airmen value. However, considering a changing demand for entertainment combined with constrained resources, it is important that we take a look at alternatives and ask for a broad base of inputs and opinions,” Brig. Gen. Lenny Richoux, director of Air Force Services, said in the release. Remaining performances are listed here.