"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is heading to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, where troops will be able to see the movie at various locations just a few days after its release in the U.S., according to officials with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
The schedule has the film showing in Dubai on Dec. 20-21; Afghanistan on Dec. 22-23, and Iraq and Kuwait Dec. 23-27.
A complete list of locations within the countries where the movie will screen was not available for force protection reasons, said AAFES spokesman Conner Hammett. But local commanders will get the word out through normal channels to let troops know when and where the movie will be shown.
The showings continue AAFES' longstanding policy of bringing first-run movies to troops deployed overseas.
"Providing service members with first-class entertainment plays a key role in maintaining the morale of our deployed forces," said Trinidad Saucedo, AAFES' senior vice president of services, food and fuel, in a statement.
"Our men and women in uniform represent the best and bravest, and it's an honor to do something special as a thank you for their service," said Ken Caldwell, senior vice president of North American sales and distribution for The Walt Disney Studios, in a statement.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
