Tops in Blue (TIB) - WTF?

[panchbarnes]

Over the 'Tops': A morale boost for some, a waste to others

https://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20140430/NEWS/304300045/Over-Tops-morale-boost-some-waste-others

The Air Force disagrees.

Tops in Blue “provides entertainment for a diverse mix of current and former airmen, and Air Force families of all ages,” the Air Force said in written responses to Air Force Times questions on the program. “The reaction Tops in Blue gets from airmen who attend the shows has always been enthusiastic, and we continue to receive accolades from both airmen and their commanders. Tops in Blue represents an outstanding value to the Air Force.”

NAF money can be better spent elsewhere and the TIB "bodies" can go help* fill undermanned units in their respective AFSCs.

*As long as they are not allowed volunteer during duty hours.

[Day Man]

and the accompanying article...what a joke.

[panchbarnes]

This gets better... The AF leadership spends time modifying their ops tempo and airmen getting hurt from performing.

Band members cite lack of sleep, grueling rehearsals

https://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20140430/NEWS/304300047/Band-members-cite-lack-sleep-grueling-rehearsals

When asked if Tops in Blue’s strenuous schedule sometimes resulted in people operating buses, setting up and tearing down stages, and performing other duties on only a few hours’ sleep, the Air Force said it recently finished reviewing the group’s schedule and made changes to its operations tempo.

“I requested to go to the ER, and they let me go,” Perry said. “They told me I had a concussion, gave me medication, and told me I needed to rest. I was not allowed to rest because we had shows to do. I did not stop traveling.”

Perry said her fall injuries worsened while she kept performing, and about two or three months later, something snapped in her wrist. A doctor put a cast on her broken wrist, she said, and gave her pain medications that made her sleepy. That became a problem, she said.

edited: Day Man beat me to it.

Edited April 30, 2014 by PanchBarnes

[chizz]

so now Bronze Stars for TIB right? They knew what they were getting into, they applied for this and now complaining about it? Cry me a river

[sky_king]

The show must go on...

[HU&W]

They're right. The value gained from TIB is worth neither the risk nor the cost.

[Scooter14]

I don't even know where to begin.

[pawnman]

This gets better... The AF leadership spends time modifying their ops tempo and airmen getting hurt from performing.

Band members cite lack of sleep, grueling rehearsals

https://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20140430/NEWS/304300047/Band-members-cite-lack-sleep-grueling-rehearsals

edited: Day Man beat me to it.

While I scoffed at it originally, it may be one more argument against TIB...look at how safety-conscious the AF is in all other aspects of the mission. Maybe TIB needs to start filling out ORM sheets before each performance, reviewed by the group commander to ensure risks are mitigated at the appropriate level. Wonder how long it would take to reduce the number of shows and therefore, the cost to the Air Force?

Perry said an incorrectly assembled stage led to her falling 8 feet off the stage midshow in spring 2011 at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. A metal connector that was supposed to be under a carpet was exposed, she said, and she tripped on it. She said she grabbed a railing to catch her fall, but it wasn’t tightened and fell off the stage with her.

Man, I'm sorry I missed that performance. For once, I bet their show actually did boost morale.

Edited May 1, 2014 by pawnman

[TrainerModel]

Forget this TIB BS.

Here's a story about a Nurse out on a night op with the Rangers who made the ultimate sacrifice in October to save others. Maybe this TIB chick should realize other chicks are out there who never hoped or sought to be written about how tough they had it.

https://www.armytimes.com/article/20140429/NEWS/304290068/The-last-moments-Jennifer-Moreno-an-Army-nurse-killed-Afghanistan

[MD]

While I scoffed at it originally, it may be one more argument against TIB...look at how safety-conscious the AF is in all other aspects of the mission. Maybe TIB needs to start filling out ORM sheets before each performance, reviewed by the group commander to ensure risks are mitigated at the appropriate level. Wonder how long it would take to reduce the number of shows and therefore, the cost to the Air Force?

Irony that the USAF ORM's the heck out of any flight that's taken, yet seems to have no problem having tour buses driving the roads city to city with fatigued as hell drivers, as if this is the 2003 run to Baghdad from Kuwait. Imagine the black eye the image-conscious AF would have if this information was coming out following a multi-vehicle highway accident where a family in a minivan was killed by an AF bus being driven by AF personnel ordered to disregard even the most basic of DOT commercial vehicle safety regulations relating to fatigue/driver duty hours.

[guineapigfury]

Concur. TIB is an asinine program that should be canceled, but the people doing that job deserve safe working conditions.

[sky_king]

Apples and oranges in terms of acceptable risk and rationale for ORM.

On one hand, if the AF loses an aircraft, it has potentially lost highly trained crewmembers and a valuable asset critical to the defense of the nation.

Yeah, but buses are expensive too...

[Closed For Training]

Apples and oranges in terms of acceptable risk and rationale for ORM.

On one hand, if the AF loses an aircraft, it has potentially lost highly trained crewmembers and a valuable asset critical to the defense of the nation.

This logic is full of inconsistencies with the broader AF message (unsurprising we know, business as usual fir big blue).

First Orm is used to compare to an ALR (acceptable level of risk) that varies based on the strategic or tactical value of the mission which in the case of TIB would be so low as to require the unit to follow basic DOT regulations.

Second when 29Bs and High risk activity sheets are rampant for the most basic of activities and the most simply trained individuals this voids the idea that it is due to "highly trained crewmembers and a valuable asset critical to the defense of the nation."

Finally, and most importantly they are driving in peaceful countries, including the US!

[pawnman]

This logic is full of inconsistencies with the broader AF message (unsurprising we know, business as usual fir big blue).

First Orm is used to compare to an ALR (acceptable level of risk) that varies based on the strategic or tactical value of the mission which in the case of TIB would be so low as to require the unit to follow basic DOT regulations.

Second when 29Bs and High risk activity sheets are rampant for the most basic of activities and the most simply trained individuals this voids the idea that it is due to "highly trained crewmembers and a valuable asset critical to the defense of the nation."

Finally, and most importantly they are driving in peaceful countries, including the US!

I really want this to result in cutting shows, or maybe the program entirely. Unfortunately, what I see happening is an increase in funding so TIB can fly to every stop.

[Closed For Training]

Gear pig, I have provided another educational link for you: red herring

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring

[MSCguy]

WTF do we still have any kind of AF band? A couple of boom boxes can do the same job. The bands are supposedly there to help with recruiting, but who has ever joined the AF because of the band concert?

[Royal]

but who has ever joined the AF because of the band concert?

All of AFPC?

[MSCguy]

Nah, AFPC would have showed up a week late and missed the concert.

[Gravedigger]

It's been covered before, but there is a big difference between TIB and the Air Force band. The Air Force band exists because military bands have existed for thousands of years and are necessary for ceremonial purposes and formal functions. They are all excellent musicians and do a great job IMHO.

TIB on the other hand is a cluster of counter-productive jazz-handing sissies that contribute nothing to our service.

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[HercDude]

There is certainly a limit there too....

I'm all for the USAF Band. USAFE & PACAF Band - fine.

But why the hell do we have 69 other bands, many of them almost as lame as TIB. For instance why the hell does the Academy have it's own country & western band?

https://www.usafacademyband.af.mil/ensembles/BandEnsembleBio.asp?EnsembleID=122

And why does the ANG have 5 (count 'em!) different bands?

https://www.bands.af.mil/bands/

[hispeed7721]

And the zoo has their own D&C band too (AD members, not talking about the cadet band)...what a waste

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sky_king]

The Air Force can have as many extra-curricular bands as it wants. As long as these band members only contribute after a minimum of 40 hours of work per week. Also, they must be member funded.

[Vito]

TIB may be a total waste, but what the hell does a "Protocol Officer" do? My OTS commander was one and when he tried to explain the importance of his job to the flight, I smirked. He hated me the rest of the time I was there.

[Lawman]

TIB may be a total waste, but what the hell does a "Protocol Officer" do? My OTS commander was one and when he tried to explain the importance of his job to the flight, I smirked. He hated me the rest of the time I was there.

Wasn't that the Political bureau guy the Russians used to put in military units to make sure nobody said anything mean about Stalin. That's sure as hell what it sounds like.

[sky_king]

I'm not exactly sure what a protocol officer does, but I assume he determines things like if eggs should be cracked on the big end or little end.