MLB: COVID-19 forces game MUSIC to adjust habits Back page The Chicks are all done with ‘Dixie’ TRAVEL: Steves on the and ready to be future of tourism Page 26 heard again MOVIES: ‘Greyhound’ takes Hanks back to WWII Page 20 Page 32 stripes.com Volume 79, No. 65 ©SS 2020 FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2020 $1.00 VIRUS OUTBREAK Breaking down the battle Soldiers with the Army’s Urban Augmentation Medical UK, US, Canada Task Force 332-1 pose Soldiers who helped in early coronavirus fight for a photo at University accuse Russia Hospital in Newark, N.J., on describe an overwhelmed hospital as they of hacking virus April 14. The task force spent more than five weeks vaccine trials assisting hospital staff in the brace for potential second deployment fight against COVID-19. Page 8 CARLOS CUEBAS FANTAUZZI/U.S. Army Page 9 Restrictions leave contractors stranded for months without pay on Afghanistan base BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN tary contracts with for services including Due to COVID-19-related travel restric- ficials said in April. Stars and Stripes construction, security and food services, tions, some workers have lived in these The military has acknowledged that for- have been confined to temporary lodg- conditions for up to four months. They eign contractors from several countries KABUL, Afghanistan — Some foreign ing quarters at Bagram Airfield, where haven’t been paid since their jobs were ter- have been unable to leave Bagram because workers stuck at the largest U.S. airfield in they are constantly monitored by security minated, they said. of travel restrictions related to COVID-19. Afghanistan have been living in what they guards, several contractors said. Fluor is one of two companies in Af- Fluor was trying to repatriate about 200 describe as jail-like conditions for months Visitors to Bagram who don’t meet cer- ghanistan operating the umbrella service people from the base last week, according after their jobs were cut, but they’ve been tain security criteria are given red badges contract LOGCAP IV. Those services were to an official from the company who was unable to return home. — green badges allow more freedom — and to be reduced after the U.S. agreed to shut not authorized to disclose the figure. “Red-badged” employees of the U.S.- are not allowed mobile phones, regular in- down five bases and withdraw thousands based Fluor Corporation, which the mili- ternet access or trips to the store. of troops earlier this year, U.S. military of- SEE STRANDED ON PAGE 6 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, July 17, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EUROPE GAS PRICES EXCHANGE RATES Country Super E10 Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9444 Germany $2.458 $2.852 $3.105 $2.701 Azores -- -- $3.096 -- Euro costs (July 17) .............................. $1.11 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.66 Change in price +1.8 cents +1.8 cents +2.1 cents +0.1 cents Change in price -- -- +2.1 cents -- Dollar buys (July 17) .........................€0.8541 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.8583 British pound (July 17) .........................$1.23 (Military exchange rates are those Netherlands -- $3.552 $3.763 $3.543 Belgium -- $2.258 $2.531 $2.341 Japanese yen (July 17).......................105.00 Change in price -- +1.5 cents +1.6 cents +1.4 cents Change in price -- No change No change No change available to customers at military banking South Korean won (July 17) ..........1,172.00 facilities in the country of issuance U.K. -- $2.762 $3.015 $2.611 Turkey -- -- $2.906 $2.502* Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 Change in price -- +1.8 cents +2.1 cents +0.1 cents Change in price -- -- +2.1 cents +0.1 cents Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For British pound .....................................$1.2588 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3522 purchasing British pounds in Germany), China (Yuan) ........................................6.9930 check with your local military banking PACIFIC GAS PRICES Denmark (Krone) ................................6.5131 facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.9695 rates provided for reference when buying Country Unleaded Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Euro .........................................$1.1430/0.8749 Japan -- $2.909 -- $2.499 South Korea $2.269 -- $2.919 $2.519 Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7547 currency. All figures are foreign currencies Change in price -- +3.0 cents -- +1.0 cents Change in price +1.0 cents -- +1.0 cents No change Hungary (Forint) .................................309.07 to one dollar, except for the British pound, which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Okinawa $2.259 -- -- $2.499 Guam $2.269** $2.669 $2.919 -- Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4366 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Change in price +3.0 cents -- -- +1.0 cents Change in price +3.0 cents +3.0 cents +3.0 cents -- Japan (Yen) ............................................107.14 Kuwait (Dinar) ..................................... 0.3074 INTEREST RATES Norway (Krone) ...................................9.2785 Philippines (Peso).................................49.50 Prime rate ................................................3.25 * Diesel EFD ** Midgrade Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.92 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7506 Federal funds market rate ................... 0.03 For the week of July 17-23 Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3910 3-month bill ............................................. 0.14 South Korea (Won) ..........................1,203.14 30-year bond ...........................................1.33 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 65/62 Kabul 89/61 Seoul 80/67 Baghdad 110/85 Kandahar 104/71 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 79/65 72/66 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 73/57 68/55 72/62 Iwakuni 75/72 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 100/92 Brussels 67/53 Guam 111/90 73/54 Ramstein 77/70 85/82 Lajes, 69/56 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 109/84 110/84 69/66 68/56 70/59 Aviano/ Vicenza 72/63 Naples 78/68 Okinawa Morón 85/82 107/69 Sigonella Rota 87/65 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 101/88 99/70 78/72 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 16 Classified ....................42-43 Comics ..................38, 46-47 Crossword .............38, 46-47 Faces ............................... 39 Opinion .......................44-45 Sports .........................48-56 Weekend ..................... 17-38 Friday, July 17, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Tilting forces firefighters off burning ship BY CAITLIN M. KENNEY helicopters to extinguish the fires The fire has destroyed the ship’s Stars and Stripes aboard. forward mast and damaged its su- Firefighters were off the ship perstructure, which sits on top of WASHINGTON — Firefighters for less than an hour before they the ship and where the bridge is temporarily evacuated the USS were able to board again and con- located, according to Rear Adm. Bonhomme Richard overnight tinue their work, Lt. Cmdr. Patri- Philip Sobeck, the commander Wednesday as a safety precaution cia Kreuzberger, a spokeswoman of Expeditionary Strike Group when excessive amounts of water for Naval Surface Force U.S. Pa- 3, which includes the Bonhomme used to fight the fire caused the cific Fleet, said in a statement Richard. ship’s tilt to worsen, according to Thursday. The more than 400 firefighters the Navy. No other information was pro- have had to move compartment Crews were cleared from the vided about the shift of the ship’s to compartment to contain the ship and the pier at Naval Base tilt . fire and are encountering fallen San Diego, Calif., “due to an ini- As of Thursday, 40 sailors and debris such as scaffolding from tial shift in the ship’s list” as of- 23 civilians have been treated the maintenance work that was ficials monitored the situation for minor injuries including heat being done. as the ship settled, according exhaustion and smoke inhalation “There is no threat to the fuel to a statement from Naval Sur- while fighting the fire aboard the tanks, which is well below any face Force U.S. Pacific Fleet late amphibious assault ship, accord- active fires or heat sources. The Wednesday. ing to the Navy. ship is stable, and the structure JASON WAITE, U.S. NAVY/AP The ship is tilting due to the Since the fire began Sunday is safe,” Sobeck said earlier this An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter combats a fire aboard the amount of water being used in- morning, it spread throughout the week. amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San side the Bonhomme Richard and ship from the cargo hold, where [email protected] Diego on Tuesday. dropped on top of the ship from Navy officials believe it started. Twitter: @caitlinmkenney Navy warship sails near Spratlys after US rejects China’s claims BY CAITLIN DOORNBOS recognized in international law, Stars and Stripes by challenging restrictions on innocent passage imposed by The Navy sent a guided-mis- China, Vietnam and Taiwan,” the sile destroyer on a freedom-of- Navy statement said. navigation operation in the South Though the U.S. has been con- China Sea on Tuesday, a day after ducting freedom-of-navigation the United States officially reject- exercises in the region for years, ed Beijing’s claims there. the Ralph Johnson’s operation The USS Ralph Johnson, as- came after Secretary of State signed to the 7th Fleet, sailed Mike Pompeo on Monday for the within 12 nautical miles of the first time announced the official Spratly Islands, according to a U.S. stance on China’s claims and statement by the U.S. Pacific operations in the South China Fleet on Tuesday. The cluster of Sea. more than 100 islands and reefs “We are making clear: Bei- comprise less than 3.1 square jing’s claims to offshore resourc- miles.