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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES April 24, 2008 Hill's big screen set for grand re-opening after renovations BY SENIOR AIRMAN BROK MCCARTHY 75th Air Base Wing public affairs T he base theater is holding a grand re-opening weekend starting May 16 to show off all the changes volunteers have made to the inside of the theater. "In the past two months, the theater has gone through some major changes," said Senior Master Sgt. Laura Wilkes, base theater manager "People from all over the base have put in a lot of time and energy in order to revitalize it." One of the most noticeable changes that have been made is in the concession area. "We had a small leak that was supposed to be a small fix under- neath the sink, but when the guys from the (75th Civil Engineering Squadron) structure shop came out to look at it, the bottom of the cabinet was rotted out," Wilkes said. 'They looked into the cost to replace everything and decided it would be better for the structures shop to take on the project and handcraft some beautiful cabinets for us." Another change was made in the theater's infant room — a room where parents with young children who are making noise can go so other theater patrons aren't disturbed but parents can still see and hear the movie. The 5- to 4-year-old group from the Child Development Center was invited to come to the theater and decorate the walls of the room with paint prints of their hands. In order to give the theater more of the feel one gets when they go to an off-base theater, many organizations have donated materials for use: Club Hill donated items for use behind the concessions stand, lodging donated new furniture for the lobby and PARC replaced toilet paper dispensers for the bathroom to keep things up off the floor. "It*s really just been amazing," Wilkes said. "Everyone has come together as Team Hill to make this place their own." The theater is hoping to continue renovations in the future, she said. Possible future renovations include extending the lobby area to create a birthday room, replacing the sound and public the base controls it instead of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services. Movies are provided free of charge by AAFES in a special format of DVD or enhanced VHS, depending on the age of the film. All other activities are run by volunteers and managed since August by the Hill Top Three organization. "Every weekend, a different organization can volunteer to run the concession area as one of their two quarterly fundraisers," Wilkes said. "Any money that's made is split 50/50; half going to the organization, half going to replenish the concession stand" People wanting to volunteer their organizations or request a movie can contact Sgt. Wilkes at laura.wilkes@hill.af.mil. CaptD., 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, examines a munition on an F-16 Fighting Falcon as part of a preflight inspection at Balad Air Base, Iraq, on April 18. As of the beginning of April, almost 5,000 close air support sorties had been flown by pilots throughout Iraq since the beginning of 2008, according to statistics provided by the Combined Air Operations Center. Captain D. is deployed from Hill AFB. Their role in Iraq BY 1ST LT. LISA SPILJNEK 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs B ALAD AIR BASE, Iraq — At 6 a.m., it's another early Friday morning in Iraq as the two young men deployed from Hill Air Force Base get ready to venture into harm's way yet again. It's a day like many others the pilots, assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, have experienced since arriving here in January. Still, they listen to the briefings about potential threats and meticulously check over their F-16 Fighting Falcons before taking to the skies. Today, April 22, their mission will contribute to an important milestone for the U.S. Air Force — 1 million sorties flown in support of the Global War on Terrorism. But it isn't historic events that Capts. B. and D., whose names were withheld for operational security reasons, are thinking about as they don their protective gear — their focus is on providing close air support to U.S. Army ground units by identifying improvised explosive devices and device emplacers in the area. During their five-hour flight they will synchronize with the operations of three different groups of Army soldiers in three different locations in central Iraq. "The Army soldiers are building all the contacts — they are shaping people's minds and patriotism. I deal with the more ugly side — the people who can't be changed," Captain D. said "We make the bad guys go away." In fact, since August 2007 fighter and unmanned aerial aircraft assigned to Balad have conducted more than 700 attacks on insurgents and dangerous targets, said Lt. CoL Stephen Pedrotty, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Squadron commander. If the soldiers below run into any trouble, the pilots flying above them can engage threats with precisely-targeted munitions. They can also provide valuable information on goings-on within the battlespace. "Within 30 seconds, I can cover a 10-mile stretch of road," said Captain D. who is currently serving his first deployment. "I'm putting sensors where (the soldiers and joint terminal attack controllers) want them. It provides information from a different announcement systems, getting a new movie screen and a more visible marquee. "All of these renovations require some form of base supported funding," Wilkes said. "So when something comes up we really try to put forth an effort to make improvements that will make the theater better for everyone, like the suggested party room. The area that it would encompass is already in need of major repair, so one of our major supporters put a request in to the base that we add on the room for a mere $30,000." The reason the base has been able to have such a large involvement in renovating the theater is because it is one of only nine military installations in which Above left, Captain D.y 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, dons his helmet before takeoff. Above, Captain D. prepares for takeoff. Left, Captain B., 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, performs a preflight inspection on his F-16 Fighting Falcon at the base on April 18. Below, Captain B. performs another preflight inspection April 19. The focus of his mission is to provide close air support to U.S. Army ground units by identifying improvised explosive devices and emplacers in the area. Captain B. is also deployed from Hill AFB. All photos by Senior Airman JULIANNE SHOWALTER U.S. Air Force perspective—a little higher up." As of the beginning of April, almost 5,000 close air support sorties had been flown by pilots throughout Iraq since the beginning of 2008, according to statistics provided by the Combined Air Operations Center. Synchronizing air operations with what's taking place on the ground is something the pilots prepare for from the day they enter training, but no amount of practice can compare to the real thing. "For the first time (during a deployment) you get to fight (as a team) with the real joint force and real assets — not just (in) a simulated environment," said Captain B., who will conclude his third deployment in about six weeks. "You can't simulate this environment as much as you try. Being deployed gives you confidence in your abilities." Those abilities include working with ground liaison personnel—Army soldiers who give pilots information about ground operations to prepare them before a flight. "The GLOs tell us how comforting it is for the Army the fight It's worth doing all to know we are up there and those circles in the sky," Capthe capabilities we bring to tain B., said. |