LOS ANGELES, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a sea of purple and gold, it was Air Force blue that took center stage as Airmen from across the country performed in honor of Air Force Week Los Angeles when the Chicago Bulls came to L.A. to take on the Lakers Tuesday at the Staples Center here.

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The Airmen involved came from bases across the country to represent the Air Force during the nationally telecast game in front of a crowd of nearly 20,000.

Prior to the game, Lt. Col. Ivan Thompson, the reserve advisor at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., along with the Vandenberg AFB Base Honor Guard, sang the National Anthem.

"It was awesome--it was quite a rush," Colonel Thompson said. "That is really special to me because I got a chance to use my talent to sing the anthem in front of a big audience and really get them stirred up patriotically."

One Airman who just returned from a deployment was asked to complete a crucial task before the game.

"I just returned from Balad, Iraq, and was asked to deliver the game ball," said Staff Sgt. Andre Stevens, a computer operator with the Space Superiority Systems Wing at LAAFB. "Being able to come back in September and be here for a Lakers game is monumental in my life."

The Air Force Honor Guard drill team wowed the crowd at halftime as they performed a five-minute routine.

"It was a lot of fun out there tonight and definitely one I'll remember," said Senior Airman Michael Rowe, a ceremonial guardsman with the Air Force Honor Guard. "The drill team is often times in the public eye and it's great to be able to show the public another side of what the Air Force does beside just war fighting. "

As Air Force Week reaches its mid-point, a positive feeling about the event has been felt among those lucky enough to be a part of it.

"Air Force Week has been really cool," Colonel Thompson said. "The opportunity to represent the military among this community has been great."

The Air Force Week program allows the Air Force to communicate to America's communities nationwide the critical role the Air Force plays in global humanitarian missions, the nation's dominance of air, space and cyberspace, and defending America's future.

Staff Sgt. Raymond Hoy

30th Space Wing Public Affairs

SOURCE Los Angeles AFB