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Bands bring country legends to Europe and the Pacific

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Mattie Fuller
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Air Force Reserve Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Pacific Air Forces are joining up with Lee Greenwood, Restless Heart, New England Patriots cheerleaders and comedian Dick Hardwick for a whirlwind tour of Europe, Southwest Asia and the Pacific from April 5-18.

Headquarters United States Central Command at MacDill AFB, Fla.; Headquarters USAFE at Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Headquarters PACAF at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and Headquarters AFRC here are co-sponsoring the Patriot World Tour. Six cheerleaders from the New England Patriots will tour with the musicians and technicians from the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, PACAF, USAFE and the Air Force Band.

“The combined effort serves as a good reminder of how Air Force reservists partner with the active-duty Air Force and the Air National Guard to create the Total Force,” said Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of the Air Force Reserve, Pentagon. “We’re working together on this tour to boost troop morale and let our people overseas know their Air Force family cares about them.”

The Patriotic World Tour will perform shows at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; Kadena AB, Japan; Kunsan AB, Korea; Misawa AB, Japan; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and three deployed locations in Southwest Asia.

Performing as the opening act, the combined Air Force bands will play well-known rock-and-roll, rap and contemporary favorites.

“The Patriotic World Tour will put on a show that is on par with any high-dollar concert back home,” said Dave Ballengee, deputy director of the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. “This Air Force tour group is bringing its state-of-the-art sound, stage and lighting equipment and will put on a show that our troops will never forget.”
Lee Greenwood will sing his legendary song, “God Bless the U.S.A.” while Restless Heart will perform some of its chart topping hits such as “Bluest Eyes in Texas,” “When She Cries” and “Feel My Way To You.”

"This will be our third tour with the Air Force Reserve and it looks like it will be our most intense one," said Larry Stewart, lead vocalist for Restless Heart.

The tour will cover about 25,000 miles round trip. The performers, technicians, support troops and about 40,000 pounds of equipment will get a lift from an Air Force cargo aircraft and a KC-10 Extender refueling and cargo aircraft.

Reserve, active-duty and National Guard Airmen work together as a team to make the U.S. Air Force the most powerful force the world has ever seen. The Air Force Reserve provides about 20 percent of the Air Force’s combat capability for about 4 percent of the total Air Force budget.