Sergeant's nightly movies benefit deployed Airmen

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jeff Szczechowski
  • 455th Expeditionary Operations Group Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  When the sun sets on Camp Cunningham, the outdoor break area and meeting place known as the “Pradotorium” begins to buzz with a little more activity than it does during the day.

This wooden deck area, similar to one that might be built in someone’s backyard, sits adjacent to the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group headquarters building. Patio chairs, a couple of wooden benches and even a hammock give it a homey touch.

A Plexiglas-covered bulletin board located there is posted with Air Force news stories and photos featuring Bagram Airmen, plus the latest camp news and information.

At almost anytime of the day, someone can be seen relaxing there, taking in the sun, socializing or reading. It is Camp Cunningham’s version of a village square.

After dark, the deck takes on an added dimension. That is when it becomes an open-air movie theater, a drive-in without the cars. One sure bet at Bagram Air Base is that Staff Sgt. Eugene Prado, a 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Airman, will be there every night to show a movie.

He uses a video projector that had been sitting unused in his squadron office. With the projector in hand, he attached a DVD player, giving him the capability to show crisp and clear movies on a screen salvaged from the services division. The screen, which looks like it was tailor-made to fit the dimensions of the break area, was sitting unused in the headquarters basement.

To complete his minitheater, Sergeant Prado uses a surround-sound speaker system, which he installs before each movie, to produce theater-quality audio.

Like the proprietor of a neighborhood business, he gets to the Pradotorium as early as he can. He straightens up the chairs, sets up his equipment and surveys the area with a manager’s eye to make sure everything is ready for that night’s feature. He does everything but make popcorn.

Capt. David Borchardt, 455th ESFS commander, first coined the term "Pradotorium" in honor of his volunteer-minded noncommissioned officer. Without fail, 15 to 30 people will gather there every night to watch the movie. Many others stroll by and stop for a few minutes to catch a few good lines or an action scene on the way to and from their huts.

Sergeant Prado said he does, indeed, have a job that keeps him busy during the day. He is the NCO in charge of the pass and ID office. He works seven days a week, nine to 12 hours a day, sometimes longer. Lately, he said he has been averaging about 70 customers a day. He also helps in other areas of the squadron whenever needed.

He still finds the time and energy to make life here better for others when the duty day is finished. He said that showing a movie at the Pradotorium every night makes him feel good.

“I like doing ... whatever makes the ‘town’ happy,” he said. “I try to make things better. Since I have the time, why not help out?”

Staff Sgt. Nikole Tipton, who works in the personnel support for contingency operations office, could be described as a regular at the nightly movie. She appreciates Sergeant Prado's nightly efforts.

“I really like what he’s doing, and you can see that he’s very proud of what he does,” she said.

The most popular movies, perhaps not surprisingly, at a deployed location like Bagram are comedies, said Sergeant Prado. A recent showing of “Finding Nemo” brought out one of the larger crowds.

His efforts are a big help to the two services specialists here, who keep very busy finding fun things for the people assigned here to do.

“He just stepped up and took over a program that could have fallen to services. His efforts free us up to take on other things,” said Tech. Sergeant Thearsea Smith, 455th EOG services superintendent. “He’s out there every night, apart from his day job, setting up the movie and taking it down.”

The nightly movies are a “great morale booster,” she said.

Sergeant Prado said that his nightly movies are beneficial to everyone, including himself. He said the Pradotorium feature -- sometimes it is a double feature -- brings people in the camp closer.

He added that when he is outside setting up the video equipment, he knows he has put one more day of work behind him, and he is another step closer to getting back home to McChord Air Force Base, Wash., and his fiancée.

“If you help out, you help yourself (by making time go by faster), and you’re helping everyone,” he said. “We’re all far from home, but I’m trying to make it as much like home as possible.”