MOVIES: Angelina Jolie gets MLB an endurance test Page 16 No-hitters are becoming normal GAMES: The return of Page 48 Ratchet & Clank Page 19 MUSIC: Miranda Lambert’s set of campfire songs Page 29 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 25 ©SS 2021 FRIDAY,MAY 21, 2021 $1.00 AFGHANISTAN End of an era: Base stores will no longer accept pogs BY J.P. LAWRENCE Stars and Stripes KABUL, Afghanistan — The paper coins, or pogs, that troops have used at stores and collected as souvenirs on overseas bases for the last 20 years are being phased out as the U.S. military leaves Af- ghanistan. Some stores have already stop- ped using pogs, which were given as change instead of nickels, dimes and quarters since 2001 at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores. Signs at the seven AAFES stores that are still open on bases in Af- ghanistan encouraged people to turn in or use their pogs before JOHN VANDIVER/Stars and Stripes they are no longer accepted, An artillery team from Spain fires a round Wednesday during U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s Dynamic Front drill in Grafenwoehr, Germany. The spokesman Chris Ward said. exercise is part of the overarching Defender Europe-21 program. SEE POGS ON PAGE 4 Fine-tuning firepower 15 countries, 1,800 troops demonstrate NATO’s reach in US-led fires exercise in Germany Stars and Stripes BY JOHN VANDIVER “This, right now, is about fine-tuning our The few Army and Air Force Stars and Stripes ability to work together and working out the Exchange Service stores that are GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — The ground “This, right now, is about bugs now, so that in a crisis or conflict, we’ve still open on bases in Afghanistan shook in northern Bavaria as Spanish artillery- fine-tuning our ability to got that behind us,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. are encouraging people to turn in men fired rockets under the orders of Amer- Roger Cloutier, head of NATO Allied Land or use their paper coins, or pogs. ican soldiers, who are using a makeshift com- work together and working Command. “Fires is going to be a critical part mand post this week to test the Army’s ability out the bugs now, so that of any crisis or conflict if it gets to that end.” RELATED to coordinate attacks across large distances. The Army’s 41st Field Artillery Brigade is at At the Army’s sprawling ranges in Grafen- in a crisis or conflict, we’ve the center of the action as it coordinates C-130 crew honored woehr and a separate site in Poland, U.S. Army strikes. The brigade was stood up three years for evading fire, aiding Europe and Africa’s Dynamic Front drill is got that behind us.” ago after years of U.S. unit cuts in Germany, in bringing together dozens of howitzers and a push to bring long-range artillery back to Eu- airman in Afghanistan multiple launch rocket systems in a showcase U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Roger Cloutier Page 3 of allied reach. head of NATO Allied Land Command SEE FINE-TUNING ON PAGE 3 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, May 21, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER EUROPE GAS PRICES EXCHANGE RATES Country Super E10 Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Military rates South Korea (Won) 1129.94 Germany $3.303 $3.715 $3.963 $3.524 Azores .. .. $3.863 .. Switzerland (Franc) .8996 Euro costs (May 21) $1.19 Change in price +6.7 cents +6.8 cents +6.4 cents +6.3 cents Change in price .. .. +6.4 cents .. Thailand (Baht) 31.37 Dollar buys (May 21) 0.7988 Turkey (NewLira) 8.3658 Netherlands .. $4.166 $4.470 $4.139 Belgium .. $3.058 $3.332 $3.081 British pound (May 21) $1.38 Japanese yen (May 21) 106.00 Change in price .. ­0.5 cents ­0.5 cents ­0.4 cents Change in price .. No change No change No change (Military exchange rates are those available South Korean won (May 21) 1104.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the U.K. .. $3.614 $3.862 $3.423 Turkey .. .. $3.748 $4.030* Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ Change in price .. +6.8 cents +6.4 cents +6.3 cents Change in price .. .. +6.4 cents No change many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ Britain (Pound) 1.4144 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2075 your local military banking facility. Commercial China(Yuan) 6.4345 rates are interbank rates provided for reference PACIFIC GAS PRICES Denmark (Krone) 6.0898 Egypt (Pound) 15.6800 when buying currency. All figures are foreign Country Super E10 Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Euro .8190 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Japan .. $3.749 .. $3.319 South Korea $3.109 .. $3.769 $3.329 Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7632 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Change in price .. +6.0 cents .. +7.0 cents Change in price +7.0 cents .. +7.0 cents +6.0 cents Hungary (Forint) 286.45 Israel (Shekel) 3.2609 Okinawa $3.089 .. .. $3.319 Guam $3.099 $3.519 $3.759 .. Japan (Yen) 108.84 INTEREST RATES Kuwait(Dinar) .3007 Change in price +6.0 cents .. .. +7.0 cents Change in price +6.0 cents +7.0 cents +6.0 cents .. Norway (Krone) 8.3212 Prime rate 3.25 Philippines (Peso) 47.77 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 *DieselEFD **Midgrade Poland (Zloty) 3.69 Federal funds market rate 0.09 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7502 3­month bill 0.01 For the week of May 21­27 Singapore (Dollar) 1.3310 30­year bond 2.40 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 56/52 Kabul Seoul 74/55 72/54 Baghdad 109/73 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 71/55 72/62 93/65 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 62/45 70/59 51/49 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 65/61 Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 107/86 92/85 Ramstein 63/45 68/61 60/50 56/50 84/82 Riyadh Lajes, 106/85 Doha Azores Stuttgart 111/80 61/57 63/50 Pápa Aviano/ 68/42 Vicenza 62/47 Naples 70/52 Okinawa Morón 80/76 91/62 Sigonella Rota 76/50 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 74/64 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 92/80 66/62 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 36 Classified .................... 46 Comics ................... 38-39 Crossword ............. 38-39 Faces .......................... 35 Opinion ....................... 40 Sports .................... 41-48 Friday, May 21, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY C-130 crew honored for combat heroism BY PHILLIP WALTER said. WELLMAN Upon landing at Bagram, anoth- Stars and Stripes er C-130J Super Hercules was KABUL, Afghanistan — A pilot prepared and the remaining crew who escaped enemy ground fire finished the mission, the state- and flew a quick reaction force to ment said. Bagram Airfield has received one “The teamwork aspect of the of the military’s highest awards squadron was awesome,” Ri- for heroism in flight, the Air Force chardson said. said. “I told them we were on our way C-130J pilot Maj. Christopher back with a problem and the Richardson received the Distin- whole squadron jumped into ac- guished Flying Cross at a ceremo- tion.” ny in Little Rock, Ark., on May 10. The previously unreported inci- Fellow pilot 1st Lt. Christian Gro- dent occurred during a period chowski, and loadmasters Senior which the U.S. military said was Airman Dimitrious Carden and largely free of Taliban attacks Staff Sgt. Jade Mori received Air against foreign forces. The insur- Medals, a statement said Wednes- gents pledged to stop targeting day. foreign troops as part of a U.S.-Ta- The 61st Airlift Squadron crew liban deal signed in February was flying a team of service mem- 2020. bers to an unnamed forward base While it hasn’t been confirmed on Sept. 19, 2020, when enemy fire whether the Taliban were respon- crippled the plane and injured a sible, the incident was raised with crew member, the statement said. the group through a military coor- Richardson tried to approach dination channel in Qatar, United PHOTOS BY AARON IRVIN/U.S. Air Force the base but was hindered by dam- States Forces-Afghanistan said. Air Force Col. John Schutte, 19th Airlift Wing commander, presents the Distinguished Flying Cross to Maj. aged controls. The Distinguished Flying Cross Christopher Richardson, 61st Airlift Squadron pilot, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., on May 10. He decided instead to return to is awarded for singular acts of he- Bagram Airfield. roism or extraordinary achieve- “For me, it was a continual ba- ment while in flight. lancing of priorities,” Richardson The Air Medal is awarded hero- said in the statement. ism or meritorious achievements “First was to get the crew and in flight. the plane out of harm’s way. Sec- “I certainly would not have suc- ond was assessing if the mission ceeded alone — we all worked to- was worth the risk.” gether and relied on each other Meanwhile, Carden and an on- that night,” Carden said. “Every- board combat control team tended body on that plane played a signif- to the injured crew member’s icant role in carrying out the mis- wounds, it said. sion and bringing everyone home “Everything happened quickly, safely.” and adrenaline makes decision- making difficult, but having my Schutte presents the Air Medal to Schutte presents the Air Medal Schutte presents the Air Medal Senior Airman Dimitrious Carden, to Staff Sgt.