SJ Airman shines as Tops in Blue drummer

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Gino Reyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. --  Tops in Blue, the Air Force's premier entertainment showcase, is one of the oldest and most widely-traveled groups of its kind.

The group's performance at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., was a welcome homecoming for the team's drummer Airman 1st Class Maxwell Hulett, who is assigned to the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Avionics Flight.

"It was a very surreal feeling to be back in Goldsboro pointing out all the good places to eat to my band mates," said Hulett, a native of Richmond, N.H.

Hulett started playing the drums when he was 10 years old and fell in love with it. After enlisting in the Air Force Hulett learned about Tops in Blue and decided to try out for the drummer slot. He submitted an audition tape and was selected for tryouts in San Antonio. Hulett excelled during the live audition and earned a position on the team.

"I felt ecstatic to have made the group, playing the drums was always a dream of mine," Hulett said. "Having the opportunity to do what I love for the Air Force is a big honor."

The group travels through 20 countries in a 10-month period performing approximately 140 shows. In preparation for their tour the performers conduct three months of training to learn songs, dance routines and how to set up and tear down their equipment.

"The natural high I get from performing for other people is what keeps me going," Hulett said.

Hulett plans on attending music school and one day becoming a college music professor. After completing a yearlong tour with Tops in Blue he will return to Seymour Johnson AFB to continue his job as an avionics apprentice.

"Being a part of Tops in Blue has increased my work ethic dramatically," Hulett said. "I am excited to bring what I learned here back to my workplace."