Years of work pay off with Tops in Blue spot

Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Moody/446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Perseverance is key to success and after years of dedication and determination, Tech. Sgt. Katie Badowski, 446th Services Flight at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, finally reached her dream.

On her sixth attempt, Badowski was accepted as a year-long performer with Tops in Blue, the Air Force special entertainment unit. She is headed to San Antonio, Texas, for rehearsals and will be touring with the group by summertime.

Badowski, a music major from Oregon State University, first saw Tops in Blue perform while she was a member of the Washington Army National Guard. She was immediately hooked. Badowski said she started her Air Force career with every intention of joining Tops in Blue.

After six applications and four auditions, she finally made the final cut.

“You can’t knock down someone that has a dream,” said Lt. Col. Patricia Keenan, 446th SVF commander. “When you have something inside of yourself that you want to express, it’s bigger than you are.”

Applying for the group involves a long application, an audition video, and if selected, an arduous 10-day competition at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Most applicants don’t make it to the 10-day competition and almost never reapply, said Badowski. But she isn’t like most candidates.

“Katie’s very persistent and that’s obvious,” Keenan said. “Katie is one of only two Reservists who applied for Tops in Blue and she came back not just once, but many times because this is something that’s important to her.”

“Every time you compete, you learn how to improve your leadership skills or interpersonal skills,” Badowski said. “With each application and audition, I learned something about myself and I would work on some new skill.

“So even if I didn’t make the cut, I would feel like I accomplished something,” she said. “Last year they told me they loved my drive, but I worked on a broader base of vocal talent and that seemed to help me find success.”

While Tops in Blue is celebrating 56 years of entertainment history, Badowski will be realizing her dream of showcasing her vocal talents with the premier group for the first time.