PACIFIC NATION FACES Navy sets record New York Teigen says with rescue off legalizing she’s done with Okinawa coast marijuana ‘toxic’ Twitter Page 4 Page 6 Page 14 Ngannou stops Miocic to win heavyweight championship ›› MMA, Page 22 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 244 ©SS 2021 MONDAY,MARCH 29, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Waivers for the willing Air Force could exempt civilian- trained pilots, use new ROTC programs to address shortfall BY ROSE L. THAYER Stars and Stripes AUSTIN, Texas — The Air Force is devel- oping a program to exempt civilian pilots from some military training to become offi- cers and fly aircraft for the service more quickly, said Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, the 19th Air Force commander. It’s an attempt by the Air Force to find ways to fill its pilot shortage and create a more diverse workforce, he said. “The most important thing on that pro- gram is you still have to be willing to fight SEE EXEMPT ON PAGE 5 “You still have to be willing to fight and kill and potentially die for your country to serve as an Air Force officer.” Maj. Gen. Craig Wills Air Force Commander A student flies a virtual-reality training sortie at the PTN facility in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2019. DAN HAWKINS/U.S. Air Force Army to authorize long ponytails with all uniforms BY DAVID L. EDGE tail was originally voted against. of women recommended last year have been allowed since February Stars and Stripes But after hearing from our Sol- that female soldiers be allowed to to wear their hair in two braids or Women in the Army will be al- diers, the panel asked if they could get buzz cuts, like their male coun- a single ponytail no longer than lowed to wear their hair in long po- reconsider their decision. terparts, and that those with medi- the “top of each sleeve inseam at nytails in all uniforms, the servic- “Working out the details, but 1-2 um-length hair that can’t be pulled the underarm through the shoul- e’s top enlisted leader has said. ponytails in all uniforms, down to into a bun be allowed to wear it in a der blades.” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael the shoulder blade,” he wrote. ponytail. The new Air Force rule also al- Grinston announced the new rule Up to now, long ponytails have Many of the recommendations lows female airmen to have bangs Thursday, when he joined a con- only been authorized when wear- were incorporated into an updat- that touch their eyebrows, but do versation on Twitter where people ing the Army Combat Uniform or ed version of AR-670-1, the Ar- not cover their eyes. were speculating about another during physical fitness training. my’s all-encompassing regulation The changes are part of a trend U.S. Army grooming change being in the The rule change will also allow governing appearance and how to across the services to revamp pol- A soldier poses for a photo with works. braided ponytails, Grinston said wear uniforms, and took effect in icies that disproportionately af- medium-length hair secured into “How about I save you the trou- in a reply to a comment to his post. late February. fect women and Black service a ponytail, as authorized in Army ble?” he tweeted. “The long pony- An Army panel made up mainly Women serving in the Air Force members. grooming standards. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Monday, March 29, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER China sanctions US, Canada officials over Xinjiang EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,131.22 Associated Press nese financial entities. eign government officials and Switzerland (Franc) 0.9391 Euro costs (March 29) $1.15 Thailand (Baht) 31.12 BEIJING — China announced The commission’s vice chair, activists whom it says are Dollar buys (March 29) 0.8270 Turkey (New Lira) 8.1099 British pound (March 29) $1.34 new sanctions against U.S. and Tony Perkins, was also included spreading false information Japanese yen (March 29) 106.00 (Military exchange rates are those available Canadian officials in a growing on the sanctions list, along with about its policies toward Uygh- South Korean won (March 29) 1,104.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ political and economic feud over Canadian Member of Parliament urs and members of other Mus- many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) 0.3766 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ its policies in the traditionally Michael Chong and the body’s lim minority groups in Xinjiang. Britain (Pound) 1.3785 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2594 your local military banking facility. Commercial Muslim region of Xinjiang. Subcommittee on International “They must stop political ma- China (Yuan) 6.5415 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.3075 A statement from the Foreign Human Rights. nipulation on Xinjiang-related Egypt (Pound) 15.7043 when buying currency. All figures are foreign Ministry on Saturday said the China has strongly rejected ac- issues, stop interfering in Chi- Euro 0.8482 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7688 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ head of the U.S. Commission on cusations of human rights abuses na’s internal affairs in any form Hungary (Forint) 307.64 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.3317 International Religious Free- in Xinjiang and has launched and refrain from going further Japan (Yen) 109.69 INTEREST RATES dom, Gayle Manchin, will be calls for boycotts and other puni- down the wrong path. Otherwise, Kuwait (Dinar) 0.3022 Norway (Krone) 8.5878 Prime rate 3.25 barred from visiting mainland shments against foreign firms in- they will get their fingers burnt,” Philippines (Peso) 48.44 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.93 Federal funds market rate 0.09 China, Hong Kong or Macao, and cluding retailer H&M and Nike, the Foreign Ministry statement Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7502 3­month bill 0.02 having any dealings with Chi- along with sanctions against for- said. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3458 30­year bond 2.37 WEATHER OUTLOOK MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST MONDAY IN EUROPE TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 54/45 Kabul Seoul 55/50 56/35 Baghdad 71/45 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 56/37 63/55 79/51 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 50/42 59/47 63/46 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 56/51 75/57 Brussels Zagan Sasebo 73/69 Ramstein 57/45 58/52 Guam 62/42 61/37 83/79 Riyadh Lajes, 78/54 Doha Azores Stuttgart 79/60 63/58 63/39 Pápa Aviano/ 58/40 Vicenza 59/43 Naples 61/49 Okinawa Morón 73/69 79/56 Sigonella Rota Djibouti 66/41 The weather is provided by the 70/59 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 90/67 59/53 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 14 Opinion ........................ 15 Sports .................... 18-24 Monday, March 29, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY/MIDEAST US commanders in Japan quiet on extremism drill BY ERICA EARL against Asian-Americans in the said in a March 18 email to Stars Stars and Stripes United States. and Stripes. YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The sessions should include de- Spokespeople at Kadena Air U.S. military authorities at bases scriptions of impermissible be- Base on Okinawa confirmed that in Japan are mostly tight-lipped havior and how to report such be- extremism training has begun; about what the rank-and-file are havior, Pentagon press secretary however, they were unable to get saying, if anything, during manda- John Kirby told reporters last their responses to Stars and tory training sessions on extre- month. Austin also ordered that Stripes’ queries about the details mism that must be completed by service members review and re- of those discussions cleared from April 6. take their oaths of office and en- higher headquarters after several DAVID KRIGBAUM/U.S. Navy Secretary of Defense Lloyd couraged DOD civilians to do the weeks. Service members and civilians reaffirm their oaths of office and Austin on Feb. 5 ordered all mil- same. Bases that were willing to share enlistment during extremism training at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, on March 8. itary installations and Depart- “He understands that a one-day more about their training said ment of Defense offices to take stand-down across the force isn’t they are trying to determine how time away from regular duties — a going to solve everything,” Kirby identify results from the sessions those influences in this com- to make the stand-down as pro- stand-down — to address extre- said of Austin’s order. “But it because they are still ongoing. mand.” ductive as possible rather than mism in the ranks. The Pentagon might bring to light concerns and U.S. Army Japan, headquar- The Pentagon does not have da- just a “check the box” event. provided a 13-page “framework” experiences that we were other- tered at Camp Zama southwest of ta on service members’ involve- During sessions at the U.S. In- that covers topics to be addressed wise not aware of.” central Tokyo, started its trainings ments in extremist organizations, do-Pacific Command headquar- and a format for the discussions. It remains unclear if stand- unit-by-unit March 8, spokesman Kirby said at a Feb.