AAFES opens first movie theater in Iraq

Army News Service ^ | March 22, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

AAFES opens first movie theater in Iraq

March 22, 2004

DALLAS (Army News Service, March 22, 2004) -- The Army & Air Force Exchange Service opened a “Reel Time” theater in Balad, Iraq, March 18 and now is sending the latest Hollywood movies to troops deployed there.

With the opening of AAFES' first 35mm “Reel Time” theater in Iraq, the 16,000 troops at Camp Anaconda, a large U.S. base near Balad, can now take a break from their harsh surroundings as they enjoy first-run movies.

Col. (P) James Chambers, commander of the 13th Corps Support Command & Life Sustainment Area Anaconda, and Col. Shelley Richardson, AAFES Europe commander, cut the ribbon which opened the door to the newly refurbished, 745-seat theater.

"Our soldiers and civilians work hard every day,” said Chambers. “The new theater will provide a welcome break and a taste of home. Through the initiative of the 3rd COSCOM, the continuing efforts of 13th COSCOM soldiers and a great partnership with AAFES and Kellog Brown and Root, this grand theater has been restored. The ‘first-run’ movie service that AAFES provides our soldiers will be a great morale booster and a place to relax, if only for a couple of hours."

The Balad theater has been designed to bring a slice of home to troops in a combat zone, Richardson said.

“Our AAFES team worked tremendously hard right up to the last minute to provide a true home-town theater experience - right down to the popcorn and snacks,” Richardson said.

AAFES’ motion picture team has assembled an opening lineup of movies for the Balad theater dubbed “Sustainer.” Troops visiting the Sustainer Theater March 18 screened a first-run Paramount film starring Ashley Judd titled “Twisted.”

First-run movies are a tremendous quality of life benefit, said AAFES Vice President of Food and Theater Richard Sheff.

“Films like `Twisted’ provide an entertainment break for those serving in harsh and austere conditions,” Sheff said. “Providing entertainment for service men and women plays a key roll in maintaining morale.


The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is a joint command of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, and is headed by a board of directors who report to the secretaries of the Army and the Air Force through their chiefs of staff. To find out more about AAFES' history and mission visit the command’s Web site at www.aafes.com/pa/default.

(Editor's note: Information provided by AAFES Public Affairs.)

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service opened a “Reel Time” theater in Balad, Iraq, March 18 and now is sending the latest Hollywood movies to troops deployed there.

With the opening of AAFES' first 35mm “Reel Time” theater in Iraq, the 16,000 troops at Camp Anaconda, a large U.S. base near Balad, can now take a break from their harsh surroundings as they enjoy first-run movies.

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Ping!

[Ciexyz]

Happy viewing to our troops over there.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.


During the 1960's AFFES on base theaters were the first anywhere to show us JAMES BOND Movies a week or two before they were released to the public.

"GOLDFINGER" was shown in advance at Ft. Meade, Maryland just miles from the Baltimore Airport where part of it had been filmed. I had just arrvied there that weekend. Yahoo.

The universal favorite of our U.S. 7th Cavalry SkyTroopers at An Khe, Vietnam base camp during the 1960's seen on a white sheet strung between two trees =


...ABC "COMBAT" TV Series re-runs.



Signed:.."ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer / Vet-"WE WERE SOLDEIRS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965

http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm
(Battle of IA DRANG-1965 Photos)

.

[VOA]

...ABC "COMBAT" TV Series re-runs.

a salute to Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow)...

Howdy, I grew up on the series of "Combat" and "12 O'Clock High".

[Miss Marple]

The first movie I saw at our AAFES theater in West Berlin was "1,000,000 B.C." starring Raquel Welch. The second movie was "The Swimmer", starring Burt Lancaster. Both of these rank as the absolute worst movies ever made.

However, they did provide lots of laughs, and the guys and their wives appreciated being able to watch them and chomp on popcorn. A little bit of America in a foreign country is no mean thing!

[Gamecock]

I haven't been in an AAFES theater in years. Suspect that will change when I PCS to Germany this summer.

[Gamecock]

I haven't been in an AAFES theater in years. Suspect that will change when I PCS to Germany this summer.

[bogdanPolska12]

You are great. Thank you for ping. I wish I have energy you have:| My older son says hello. It is amazing he is only 3 years old. Imagine when he grows up. I am in trouble here helpppppppppp :} not to say about my lovely daughter, anyone knows anything how to raise a daughter? My older one is so protective with twins I have never seen that before. It is amazing. I think since he is the oldest and my first one he takes a charge, even though I treat all of them the same. I need help on this :}

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[drachenfels]

don't hold your breath.. there's not many left. between AFN's availability, the draw down, deployments, and everything else, I doubt that there are more than 25 left on posts in ALL of germany.

i remember the theater being the center of social life; everybody would go watch damn near anything for the $.50 that it ran. you showed up early, carefully selected your seats to be near friends (an easy way to track social climbers); made sure that everybody stood for the playing of the anthem.. and tried to not kick over anybody's empty beer bottles (nothing like hearing the whirr and clunk of glass rolling down the floor during quiet parts of the flick).

I understand that the bonn theater seats wound up in Kuwait when the embassy left a few years ago. Hope GIs are enjoying them now.

godspeed.

[AgentEcho]

COMBAT, RAT PATROL, and BAA BAA BLACKSHEEP here.

Æ

[windchime]

Bump!

[blackie]

Movie theater ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Allegra]

Dang! That's too far from me. I'm in the "big city."

Maybe there'll be a movie theater opening in my "neighborhood" soon.