Tops in Blue talent troupe headed to Las Vegas

Dick Benoit

Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002 | 10:15 a.m.

Tops in Blue, a free 90-minute musical variety show performed by 30 active duty service members from units throughout the Air Force will perform at the Cannery hotel theater 7 p.m. Jan. 28.

The theme for the show is "Spirit of America," which celebrates the diverse music that captures the American heritage.

According to Tom Edwards, the show's producer and director of Air Force Entertainment, this year's show reminds audiences how music enhances lives and invigorates the spirit.

"This year's show includes big-band swing, hot Latin sounds, and down home country music," Edwards said. "On this musical journey, Tops in Blue is stopping by to catch the soulful Blues of Memphis, the pop of L.A. and the hip-hop of Philly."

This year Tops in Blue will travel to 20 countries and perform 130 shows. The volunteer entertainers of all ranks and job specialties compete at base talent competitions for the honor of serving for one year with the entertainment troupe, which has been entertaining troops oversees and military and community audiences in the United States since 1953.

Marine with Navy group

Marine Corps Maj. Albert Corchuelo, Chaparral High School class of 1985, and son of Martha and Luis Corchuelo of Las Vegas, recently completed Dynamic Response '02 while assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Corchuello is among more than 4,000 Atlantic Fleet sailors and Marines deployed aboard the ships of the USS Nassau Amphibious Ready Group. After transiting the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea after its month-long operation in Kosovo (Dynamic Response '02), Corchuelo's unit shifted location from the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of responsibility to Central Command/ Fifth Fleet in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea area.

The 24th MEU is an expeditionary intervention force with the ability to rapidly organize for combat operations in virtually any environment. MEUs are composed of more than 2,000 personnel and are divided into an infantry battalion, aircraft squadron, support group and command element. With this combination, Corchuelo's unit supplies and sustains itself for either quick mission accomplishment or clearing the way for follow-on forces.

In brief

The three new Marines successfully completed 12 weeks of training designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally. They began their training at 5 a.m., by running three miles and performing calisthenics and then spent numerous hours in classroom and field assignments including learning first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat and assorted weapons training.