COLLEGE FOOTBALL VIRUS OUTBREAK FACES Strong defense plays Military community Paris Jackson mines key role in No. 13 in Wiesbaden sees her heartache for Indiana’s ascent spike in cases solo debut album Back page Page 7 Page 18 Pararescueman awarded Silver Star for actions in Afghanistan » Page 5 stripes.com Volume 79, No. 143 ©SS 2020 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas ELECTION 2020 Troops’ votes under threat from mail-in controversy BY DAN LAMOTHE AND PAUL SONNE The Washington Post Voting by U.S. troops has been thrust into the spotlight, with opponents of President Donald Trump alleging that his efforts to limit mail-in voting could disen- franchise military families. Democrats have raised the issue repeatedly after the presi- dent said last week that it would be “very proper and very nice” if a winner was declared on Elec- tion Day. Trump added that it was “totally inappropriate” for ballots that arrive later to be included, even though the votes of hundreds of thousands of service members that are sent by mail have been counted afterward for years. Trump’s opponents have pounced on the comments, sug- gesting that they show the presi- dent is willing to win at all costs, ANGEL RUSZKIEWICZ/U.S. Army even if doing so hurts military U.S. Army Sgt. Gage Stancell, center, looks through binoculars as Sgt. Gentry Squier describes where he saw a drone during an families. unmanned aerial system training exercise at Irbil Air Base in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in April. “I don’t know what Donald Trump has against military members and their families, but right now his allies are doing everything they can to make it harder for those serving over- seas to have their votes counted,” Thinking small at the Pentagon former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a supporter of Joe Biden who served in the Navy BY COREY DICKSTEIN increased emphasis on the issue of small, often off-the-shelf drones that have been in Afghanistan, tweeted Sunday Stars and Stripes night. DOD to open school used against U.S. troops in the Middle East The Lincoln Project, a political WASHINGTON and Afghanistan in recent years. activist group formed by Repub- he Pentagon wants to open a new “The [small drone] threat is evolving,” focused entirely on lican operatives who oppose the school in the coming years specifi- Gainey said recently. “Having a synergy at cally to teach troops to spot and kill president, released an online ad the [future] schoolhouse will help the force Monday narrated by actor Mark Tsmall enemy drones, as the mili- beating drones understand how to get after this problem.” tary seeks a uniform approach to defeating Hamill saying Trump has called The issue has emerged in recent years as the small unmanned aircraft, which officials for the election to be decided military officials have reported attacks on have labeled a growing battlefield threat. come part of the Army’s Fires Center of Ex- based only on ballots that arrive American troops in places such as Iraq and The Army-led Joint Counter-Small Un- cellence, said Army Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, by Nov. 3. Syria by Islamic State militants who used manned Aircraft Systems Office hopes to the leader of that new office. Gainey’s new “If he gets his way, many who open the new counter-small UAS academy Arlington, Va.-based office was opened ear- devices such as commercial quad-copter cast absentee ballots will not have in 2024 at Fort Sill, Okla., where it will be- lier this year as Pentagon officials placed an SEE DRONES ON PAGE 6 their vote counted,” Hamill said SEE VOTES ON PAGE 11 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Wednesday, November 4, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Friendly’s restaurant chain files for Chapter 11 Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9144 Euro costs (Nov. 4)................................ $1.14 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.03 Dollar buys (Nov. 4) ..........................€0.8325 Turkey (Lira) .........................................8.4613 British pound (Nov. 4) ..........................$1.27 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those had a “catastrophic impact” on were down 25% in the June-Sep- Japanese yen (Nov. 4) ........................102.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Nov. 4) ............1,106.00 operations. FIC will sell essen- tember period, as restrictions Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance WILBRAHAM, Mass. — for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the tially all of its assets to the res- were eased in some parts of the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3771 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For Friendly’s Restaurants, the 85- British pound .....................................$1.3023 taurant company Amici Partners country. nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3127 year-old East Coast dining chain purchasing British pounds in Germany), Group. Infections are surging again, China (Yuan) ........................................6.6783 check with your local military banking known for its Fribble milkshakes Denmark (Krone) ................................6.3583 All 130 Friendly’s locations, however, as colder weather ar- facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7296 and ice cream sundaes, is filing rates provided for reference when buying which stretch from Maine to Flor- rives and industry analysts Euro ........................................ $1.1792/0.8538 currency. All figures are foreign currencies for bankruptcy protection. ida, will remain open while the are assembling lists of larger Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7512 to one dollar, except for the British pound, It joins a growing list of well-es- chain restructures under Chap- chain restaurants most at risk of Hungary (Forint) .................................310.66 Israel (Shekel) ..................................... 3.4135 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, tablished restaurant chains that ter 11 bankruptcy protection, the failure. Japan (Yen) ...........................................104.67 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) are failing due to an unchecked company said late Sunday. Friendly’s has closed hundreds Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3060 INTEREST RATES pandemic in the United States. Norway (Krone) ...................................9.3941 Traffic at full-service restau- of locations over the past decade. Philippines (Peso).................................48.38 Prime rate ................................................3.25 George Michel, CEO of FIC rant chains in the U.S. plummet- The Wilbraham, Mass. , company Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.89 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7503 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 Restaurants Inc., Friendly’s par- ed 48% in the April-June period, filed for bankruptcy protection Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3610 3-month bill .............................................0.09 ent company, said COVID-19 has according to NPD Group. Visits before, in 2011. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,132.50 30-year bond ...........................................1.62 WEATHER OUTLOOK WEDNESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WEDNESDAY IN EUROPE THURSDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 55/43 Kabul 73/38 Seoul 61/44 Baghdad 92/66 Kandahar 78/41 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 62/43 64/43 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 52/34 56/41 60/50 Iwakuni 63/39 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 87/74 Brussels 51/37 Guam 91/65 53/32 Ramstein 68/46 85/79 Lajes, 51/32 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 89/59 91/73 64/59 49/35 54/44 Aviano/ Vicenza 64/53 Naples 69/54 Okinawa Morón 75/72 64/56 Sigonella Rota 72/54 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 88/76 66/59 72/60 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 14 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 16 Crossword ................. 16 Faces ........................ 18 Opinion ..................... 15 Sports .................. 20-24 Wednesday, November 4, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 PACIFIC Chinese ships set new record for days near Senkaku BY MATTHEW M. BURKE naval vessels have been enter- AND AYA ICHIHASHI ing the territorial water and con- Stars and Stripes tiguous water around Senkaku Islands frequently,” Kato told CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa reporters. “Japan will handle — Chinese coast guard ships set this situation firmly but calmly Cabinet Secretariat of Japan a new annual record this week against China.” The Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea are administered by Japan but also claimed by China and for the number of days they were Japan Coast Guard vessels Taiwan. Chinese coast guard ships this week broke a record for the number of days they spent near the spotted near islands controlled by warned the Chinese ships to contested islands. Japan in the East China Sea. leave the area and Japan protest- Four Chinese naval vessels ed through diplomatic channels, Affairs often comments in daily dents Barack Obama and Donald capability could be used to deploy were spotted in waters near the Kato said. press conferences on Japanese Trump both have said they fall combat troops to defend the Sen- Senkaku at approximately 8 a.m. “Senkaku is our land histori- protestations,