Two Commandos direct lighting, sound for Tops in Blue

Published Oct. 29, 2009
By Airman 1st Class Joe McFadden
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

10/27/2009 -- More than 250 people attended the Tops in Blue performance at Freedom Hangar Oct. 27. But the audience would not have seen or heard the show as well as they did without the technical skills and direction of two Hurlburt Field Airmen.

Senior Airmen Aaron Elliott and Blake Whilden are lighting and audio directors for Tops in Blue during their 2009 "To Dream" tour. Both Airmen are part of the technical team that travels with the group.

Airman Elliott, a native of Springfield, Va., is an integrated avionics systems journeyman with the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron. Before joining the Air Force in April 2007, he worked on sound systems for a band while in high school.

When Airman Elliott applied for a potential sound system job with the program, he thought it would be a good chance to strengthen the skills he developed while in school.

"I considered my options and decided it would be a special opportunity. It's definitely made my career in the Air Force better," Airman Elliott said.

As audio director, he oversees four other technicians who set up sound equipment before and after a show. Despite more than 80 shows in this year's tour throughout more than 30 countries, Airman Elliott said the quick pace and constant travel are not a new challenge for him.

"I'm from a military family, so moving around is not unusual. You just have to be ready to leave some events on a bus at 2 a.m. and arrive at a new location for setup at 9 a.m.," he said.

He also runs microphone checks and handles volume control during live performances. He said the added attention to a live performance makes his job more important.

"You have to always remember the audience is watching everything you do. You have to be prepared for anything," Airman Elliott said.

Airman Whilden, a native of Eustis, Fla., is a services journeyman with the 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron. He also had technical experience working with his high school theater team before joining the Air Force in December 2005.

He has held the position of lighting director since the 2008 tour. While most Airmen are expected to stay for a single tour, his situation turned out to be unique.

"When the last tour ended, there wasn't an audition for someone in lighting. I expressed an interest in staying because they clearly needed someone and they said 'come on back,'" Airman Whilden said.

Airman Whilden is in charge of seven lighting technicians who handle the production aspect of the show. He programs the stage lights for each musical sequence and oversees each performance.

He is also a certified driver and has driven the bus on tour from time to time. He said it's those many hours spent with group members on the road that have made his time enjoyable.

"We're together all the time. They're like family to me," Airman Whilden said.

One of those members that works closely with both Airmen is Edward Jones, performance director for Tops in Blue. Their work may be behind the scenes, but its impact is not lost on Mr. Jones.

"Airman Elliott is a team player and a great young leader. He came to our program with a basic knowledge of programming, and he's grown to be a director for the show," Mr. Jones said.

"Airman Whilden is always willing, and I say this with respect, to get into trouble--to try new things, to be in the middle of something and fix it. He's a great asset to our program," Mr. Jones said.

While their time with the group means time away from their home units at Hurlburt Field, both Airmen have excelled in their respective careers. Airman Elliott qualified for below-the-zone promotion, and Airman Whilden was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal when he returned to the 1st SOFSS hours before this performance.

"It's really good to be back. It makes me want to re-enlist just because I miss it here so much," Airman Whilden said.

Tops in Blue is a performance group made up entirely of active-duty Airmen that have been putting on entertainment shows around the world for more than 56 years. They are a special unit that serves not only as a morale raiser for servicemembers and their families but also as a goodwill ambassador on behalf of the Air Force.