PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WORLD FACES Once a contender in Russia projects its Music from Olivia majors, Fowler now power across Arctic Rodrigo, zombie needs help getting in at northernmost base films new this week Page 24 Page 13 Page 18 ‘Ironhorse’ brigade gets new leader at ceremony in Poland ›› Page 3 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 23 ©SS 2021 WEDNESDAY,MAY 19, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Slain Afghan interpreter’s family set to come to US BY J.P. LAWRENCE Stars and Stripes KABUL, Afghanistan — The family of an Afghan man who was killed after aiding U.S. troops has received emergency approval to come to America, lawyers and ad- vocates for the family said. The man, known by the pseudo- nym Mohammad, worked for 12 years for the U.S. Embassy and military in Afghanistan and is be- lieved to have been killed by Tali- ban insurgents while waiting for a U.S. immigration visa. His widow and six children con- tinued to face threats after his murder and applied for humani- tarian parole, a status that allows those under immediate threat to seek refuge in the United States. Their application was approved last week and advocacy groups LCS LIMBO are ready to greet them, said Cress Clippard, a Marine veteran and a volunteer for the Houston-based NELVIN C. CEPEDA/TNS Combined Arms SIVs and Allies. The USS Kansas City pier side at Naval Base San Diego on April 6 in San Diego. “I firmly believe that this deci- sion is saving the lives of Moham- BY ANDREW DYER the Navy discovered recently that mad’s wife and children,” Clip- The San Diego Union-Tribune The Navy’s littoral combat ships are still the transmission in one of the two pard said. “He served alongside lmost 15 years ago, the classes of ships was defective and us, and his family deserves to be U.S. Navy christened the in search of a mission after 15 years needed to be redesigned. And while taken care of. Houston is ready first of a new class of war- Congress has eagerly funded con- and willing to take them in and Aship designed to fight the struction of the two very different support them.” global war on terror. The so-called classes of ships, it cut funding from United States Citizenship and littoral combat ships would be fast the mission modules needed by the Immigration Services declined to and agile, operating close to shore ships to fulfill their missions. comment on the case Monday due against missile-firing boats and That unfortunate combination to privacy restrictions. small submarines. explains the ignominious nickname Mohammad waited almost a Today, the Navy has a new mis- assigned to the LCS by some sailors: decade for a Special Immigrant sion — or rather, has returned to its Little Crappy Ships. Visa, which allows those facing old mission, facing off against more The Navy intends to spend an ad- threats after aiding the U.S. to im- capable warships deployed by Chi- ditional $61 billion to maintain and migrate with their families, said na and Russia. And the service is operate the ships, according to the the family’s lawyer, Julie Korn- still trying to figure out what to do Government Accountability Office. feld of the International Refugee with its $16 billion LCS fleet. ADAM BUTLER/U.S. Navy But at the same time, the service an- Assistance Project. It doesn’t help that some of the A rigid-hull inflatable boat returns to Independence-variant littoral nounced plans last year to retire His SIV application was wrong- ships have suffered embarrassing combat ship USS Charleston on May 11. Charleston is deployed in breakdowns in mid-ocean. Or that support of the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative. SEE LIMBO ON PAGE 6 SEE INTERPRETER ON PAGE 4 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Wednesday, May 19, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Hacks hit AXA in Asia, New Zealand health care EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,129.31 Associated Press it has formed a team with AXA’s In- port all corporate clients and indi- Switzerland (Franc) 0.8970 Euro costs (May 19) $1.19 Thailand (Baht) 31.42 BANGKOK — The Thai affiliate ter Partner Assistance to urgently viduals impacted.” Dollar buys (May 19) 0.7976 Turkey (New Lira) 8.3518 British pound (May 19) $1.38 of Paris-based insurance company investigate the problem. It was un- In New Zealand, Waikato District Japanese yen (May 19) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available AXA said Tuesday that it is investi- clear how long it might take to eval- Health Board Chief Executive Ke- South Korean won (May 19) 1,106.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ gating a ransomware attack by Rus- uate the exposure of personal data vin Snee said its emergency depart- many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) 0.3766 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ sian-speaking cybercriminals that after the criminals claimed to have ment was now only taking urgent Britain (Pound) 1.4196 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2051 your local military banking facility. Commercial has affected operations in Thailand, stolen 3 terabytes of data, including patients. He said administrators China (Yuan) 6.4253 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.0890 Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Phi- medical records, customer IDs and were working to resolve the issue Egypt (Pound) 15.6801 when buying currency. All figures are foreign lippines. privileged communications with but he gave no timeline for when the Euro 0.8189 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7660 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ Meanwhile, a cyberattack on a hospitals and doctors. system might be restored. Hungary (Forint) 286.70 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2643 public health provider in New Zeal- AXA Partners, the Paris insurer’s It was unclear if the event was Japan (Yen) 108.94 INTEREST RATES and took down information systems international arm, said Sunday that linked in any way to others, includ- Kuwait (Dinar) 0.3007 Norway (Krone) 8.2055 Prime rate 3.25 across five hospitals, forcing staff to the full impact of the attack was be- ing a cyberattack that has nearly Philippines (Peso) 47.89 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.70 Federal funds market rate 0.09 cancel some elective surgeries. ing investigated and that steps paralyzed Ireland’s national health Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7503 3­month bill 0.02 In Bangkok, Krungthai AXA said would be “taken to notify and sup- care IT systems. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3298 30­year bond 2.37 WEATHER OUTLOOK WEDNESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WEDNESDAY IN EUROPE THURSDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 62/54 Kabul Seoul 78/51 77/57 Baghdad 101/72 Drawsko Osan Tokyo Kandahar Mildenhall/ 76/57 70/59 Pomorskie Busan 94/52 Lakenheath 57/43 58/44 65/61 Iwakuni Kuwait City 63/59 Bahrain Zagan Sasebo Guam 106/86 89/83 Brussels Ramstein 54/47 55/45 57/42 71/63 83/81 Riyadh Lajes, Stuttgart 105/76 Doha Azores Pápa 67/63 55/45 109/80 Aviano/ 56/49 Vicenza 56/51 Naples 67/56 Okinawa Morón 81/77 93/66 Sigonella Rota 84/53 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 80/62 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 99/80 71/64 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 17 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports .................... 19-24 Wednesday, May 19, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Meredith has reins of ‘Ironhorse’ brigade BY JOHN VANDIVER campaign. Stars and Stripes The brigade ran into difficulties STUTTGART, Germany — The almost immediately as it dealt with Fort Hood, Texas-based “Iron- quarantines and tried to contain a horse” brigade has a new com- coronavirus outbreak that hit some mander to lead it through the re- units especially hard. By Decem- mainder of a nine-month rotation in ber, nearly 300 soldiers in two bat- Europe, which had a rocky start talions had tested positive for the vi- when a previous boss was fired for rus, multiple brigade officers have toxic leadership and hundreds of told Stars and Stripes. coronavirus infections spread “This rotation presented the Bri- through the unit. gade with many unique challeng- Col. Jon W. Meredith assumed es,” Hanson said in a statement. “To command of the 1st Armored Bri- see how these Troopers banded to- gade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Di- gether, going above and beyond not vision, during a ceremony Friday in only accomplishing the mission, but Zagan, in southwest Poland. exceeding all expectations, is truly “This Brigade’s footprint can be humbling as a Commander.” felt from the United Kingdom to Ge- So far, the Ironhorse brigade has orgia as our Troopers have execut- completed more than 100 missions ed operations, fostered partner- across dozens of allied and Europe- ships and cultivated friendships an partner countries, the Army said. across Europe,” Meredith said in a Hanson leaves Europe to become statement. the garrison commander at Fort Meredith replaced Col. Ryan M. CHRISTOPHER HAMMOND/U.S. Army Jackson, S.C. Hanson, who briefly stepped into Brig. Gen. Brett Sylvia, acting commander, 1st Cavalry Division, stands between Col. Ryan M. Hanson, Top Polish military leaders, in- brigade leadership after Col. Mi- left, outgoing commander, and Col.