MLB MILITARY NATION Injuries limit Congress clashes Progress on racial some of game’s over reforms to issues slow 1 year biggest stars military justice after Floyd’s death Page 24 Page 3 Page 9 Australia closes its embassy in Kabul amid security concerns ›› Page 6 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 28 ©SS 2021 WEDNESDAY,MAY 26, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Nonpartisan budget report: Future nuke costs rising BY ROBERT BURNS Associated Press WASHINGTON — The project- ed cost of modernizing the U.S. nu- clear force is escalating, including billions of dollars more to operate nuclear-armed submarines and to update Energy Department nu- clear weapons laboratories and production facilities, according to a new analysis by the Congres- sional Budget Office. Critics of nuclear moderniza- tion are likely to seize on the new figures to bolster their argument for more modest upgrades. The nonpartisan CBO said Mon- day that operating and moderniz- ing the nuclear force will cost $634 billion in the 2021-2030 period. That is an update to CBO’s previ- Seeing the future ous estimate of $494 billion, which covered a different 10-year period — 2019 to 2028. Most of the $140 PHOTOS BY ELBIT/The Washington Post billion increase reflects the fact Elbit Systems of America’s enhanced night-vision goggles have thermal imaging and augmented reality capabilities. that the new estimate covers a dif- ferent, more expensive period in the development and fielding of a Army’s latest night-vision tech looks new generation of nuclear weap- ons, as well as inflation. like something out of a video game The effort to modernize the nu- clear force, which began under BY DALVIN BROWN B). the Obama administration and The Washington Post The product is part of a years- was advanced by the Trump ad- WASHINGTON — The Army is long push to modernize tools used ministration, is generally support- training with futuristic night-vi- by the military, officials say. The ed by Congress, although some sion goggles that transform lurk- helmet-mounted device, loaded lawmakers are critical of the enor- ing in the dark into a video-game- with thermal imaging and aug- mous costs. like experience. mented reality capabilities, intro- The extent of President Joe Bi- The armed forces have re- duces tech found in smartphones den’s commitment to the nuclear leased a stream of videos this and gaming systems to traditional modernization project that began year showing soldiers, objects night vision hardware. and locations after dark outlined “It brings in gaming capabili- SEE COSTS ON PAGE 7 in a glowing white light. The foot- ties that kids are used to from vid- age looks like scenes from role- eo games. Now, they’re getting to playing video games such as “Ha- use those when they join our mil- $634B lo,” but it actually shows what the itary forces,” said Erik Fox, gen- The amount the nonpartisan CBO world looks like through the mil- eral manager at Elbit Systems of said Monday that operating and itary’s new Enhanced Night Vi- An example of the type of imagery soldiers might see through the modernizing the nuclear force will cost sion Goggle-Binoculars (ENVG- SEE TECH ON PAGE 7 Army’s enhanced night-vision goggles. in the 2021-2030 period. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Wednesday, May 26, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Fla. law seeks to rein in social media companies EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,123.60 Associated Press day if they remove an account of Federal law prevents internet Switzerland (Franc) 0.8959 Euro costs (May 26) $1.20 Thailand (Baht) 31.37 TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Re- someone running for a local office. companies from being sued for re- Dollar buys (May 26) 0.7957 Turkey (Lira) 8.4487 British pound (May 26) $1.38 publican Florida Gov. Ron DeSan- It takes effect July 1. moving posts and federal law Japanese yen (May 26) 106.00 (Military exchange rates are those available tis signed a bill Monday that seeks “Some of these massive, mas- trumps state law when there is a South Korean won (May 26) 1,094.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ to punish social media platforms sive companies in Silicon Valley conflict. many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) 0.3766 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ that remove “conservative ideas” are exerting a power over our pop- DeSantis said big tech compa- Britain (Pound) 0.7077 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2058 your local military banking facility. Commercial from their sites, though it is not ulation that really has no prece- nies are controlling accounts to re- China(Yuan) 6.4070 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.0721 clear if it would pass constitution- dent in American history,” De- move content that doesn’t suit Egypt (Pound) 15.6705 when buying currency. All figures are foreign al muster because it might violate Santis said during a bill-signing their ideology. Republicans have Euro 0.8165 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7525 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ the First Amendment. ceremony at Florida International accused companies such as Twit- Hungary (Forint) 284.50 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2417 The new law will enable the University in Miami. “One of their ter and Facebook of censoring Japan (Yen) 108.94 INTEREST RATES state to fine large social media major missions seems to be sup- conservative thought. Kuwait(Dinar) 0.3007 Norway (Krone) 8.3068 Prime rate 3.25 companies $250,000 a day if they pressing ideas.” Twitter didn’t immediately re- Philippines (Peso) 48.16 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.66 Federal funds market rate 0.09 remove an account of a statewide But it’s questionable whether spond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.75 3­month bill 0.03 political candidate, and $25,000 a Florida will be able to enforce it. Facebook declined to comment. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3260 30­year bond 2.31 WEATHER OUTLOOK WEDNESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WEDNESDAY IN EUROPE THURSDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 59/50 Kabul Seoul 77/53 62/57 Baghdad 101/73 Drawsko Osan Tokyo Kandahar Mildenhall/ 61/57 60/58 Pomorskie Busan 97/60 Lakenheath 54/47 53/46 68/59 Iwakuni Kuwait City 69/59 Bahrain Zagan Sasebo Guam 99/80 90/88 Brussels Ramstein 56/47 56/46 55/46 69/59 84/81 Riyadh Lajes, Stuttgart 102/78 Doha Azores Pápa 65/62 53/48 103/82 Aviano/ 65/42 Vicenza 64/49 Naples 71/57 Okinawa Morón 82/80 88/56 Sigonella Rota 81/55 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 76/60 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 92/76 74/66 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports .................... 19-24 Wednesday, May 26, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Clashes over military justice erupt in Senate Tensions go public when Gillibrand tries to bring her bill up for a vote and Reed blocks it BY JOHN M. DONNELLY which is the opposite of current trends, CQ-Roll Call Christensen said. WASHINGTON — Until Monday eve- Gillibrand said Monday night that a ning, by most public appearances, a grow- more professional prosecution office ing consensus in Congress favored strip- could also help address racial disparities ping military commanders of authority to in prosecution and conviction rates. decide which sexual crimes in the ranks Tom Porter, executive vice president of should be prosecuted and instead empo- government affairs at the Iraq and Af- wering independent prosecutors to make ghanistan Veterans of America, an advo- those calls. cacy group with more than 425,000 mem- The reality, senators showed on the bers, said addressing sexual assault is the floor Monday night, is far more compli- primary driver behind a desire for legis- cated and contentious. lation to change military justice. Inside congressional offices, tense dis- But, he added, Gillibrand’s single pros- agreements have erupted in recent weeks ecutor’s office for all major crimes that over whether to authorize military offi- are not uniquely military makes the most cials outside the chain of command to sense. make prosecution decisions over not just “We agree that you ought to have unbi- sexual offenses but also nearly all major ased, professional decision-making for all crimes. serious crimes,” Porter said. On Sunday, Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed issued a statement Flexibility in House saying he plans to include in the fiscal Speier’s proposal, meanwhile, would 2022 defense authorization bill a provi- require that only sexual crimes be re- sion moving to independent prosecutors’ ferred to independent experts for prose- offices decisions on prosecuting sexual Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D­N.Y. Sen. Jack Reed, D­R.I. cution decisions. But Speier, who chairs crimes. Such a move was recently en- the House Armed Services Military Per- dorsed by a so-called Independent Re- sonnel Subcommittee, is not opposed to view Commission in the Pentagon, Reed “We have to change the culture of abuse in widening the types of crimes that are said. weighed independently. Reed’s Sunday morning statement this country, especially in the armed “Senator Gillibrand, who has also long showed that the Rhode Island Democrat worked on this issue, and I share the same and former Army captain, who complete- services.” goal of taking these cases out of the chain ly opposed such a change until now, has President Joe Biden of command and our approaches are com- altered his position, as have many mili- plementary,” Speier told CQ Roll Call in a tary leaders and dozens of lawmakers.