Team Tinker represented on Tops in Blue team

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  • 552nd Air Control Wing Public Affairs
First Lt. Darci Day, a member of the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron, was recently selected to be a part of the Tops in Blue 2008 Tour, "Deja Blue."
   The Air Force Tops in Blue entertainment group is an active duty unit made up of amateur performers who have outstanding entertainment abilities. The 30-member group travels throughout the continental United States, Central America, Alaska, Canada and Europe, entertaining more than 250,000 military personnel and their families every year. The group started in 1953, and since then more than 1,700 Airmen have performed in more than 7,000 shows.
   Lieutenant Day, hailing from Hot Springs, S.D., began singing at a young age in church choirs, which led to weekly voice lessons for a large part of her life.
   "My voice lessons started in 6th grade. I really hated them at first," said Lieutenant Day. "I stuck with it through high school though and have been joining local choirs since."
   Hundreds of hopeful candidates submit applications for a possible audition with Tops in Blue, but only 70 are chosen to attend a 10-day audition conference. The audition not only tests Airmen on their ability to sing but they also undergo a grueling personal interview, which seeks to determine everything from their motivation for auditioning to their ability to stay composed under pressure.
   "They wanted to make sure we could handle the long hours of being on the road. They would schedule practice at 8 p.m. and then move it back to 10 p.m. and then move it back again to midnight," Lieutenant Day said. "We were told we would be lucky to have a 16-hour day if we made the team."
   Lieutenant Day passed with flying colors despite having her doubts. On Sunday, the rising Air Force star will fly to San Antonio for two months of intense training, seven days a week.
   "Of course we will be performing the classic, patriotic songs that Tops in Blue normally do, but they also bring new songs to the set list that are personalized to the type of group performing," said Lieutenant Day, who is awaiting her music, which was sent in the mail only a few days before her departure.
   "I'm so excited to be performing. I love to make a crowd happy. It's such an amazing feeling," she said.
   Airman 1st Class Ashley (Osborne) Montgomery, an Air National Guardsman with the 149th Fighter Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, was also selected to be a part of the 2008 Tour. Airman Montgomery gave several performances while at Tinker, winning numerous talent shows.
   "She is a great vocalist and has a lot of stage presence." stated Mindy Whittingham, Tinker Youth Center Sports and Fitness director.
   The current Tops in Blue tour, "The Fly-By" will wrap up before March but not before making a stop at Altus Air Force Base on Feb. 11. The 2008 tour will hit the road in April. On May 24, Tops In Blue will perform at the Tinker Air Show, their performance time is set for 8 p.m. that night.
   For more information on Tops in Blue, visit www.topsinblue.com.
   (Staff Writer Danielle Gregory also contributed to this article.)