VIRUS OUTBREAK WORLD FACES US forces in parts Cable car takes Apple TV+ series of Germany see deadly plunge shows collision of easing restrictions in northern Italy music, history in ’71 Page 6 Page 12 Page 18 Vaccinated coaches go maskless for opening games ›› NBA playoffs, Page 24 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 26 ©SS 2021 MONDAY,MAY 24, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Remote work beneficial for military spouse employment BY ROSE L. THAYER Stars and Stripes For nearly a decade, the unem- ployment rate for military spouses has sat stubbornly at 22% — near- ly four times higher than the cur- rent national average. While the challenges that often block spous- es from finding long-term, mea- ningful employment remain con- stant, military family advocates believe the coronavirus pandemic may have shifted employers’ per- ceptions enough on remote work to open the door for real progress. “Honestly, I think that’s one of the beauties of the pandemic is that it shows just how creative we can get with remote employ- ment,” said Jennifer Davis, gov- ernment relations deputy director for the National Military Family Association. “I think this is kind of the perfect time and opportunity to just drive that home.” While acknowledging that the pandemic has devastated overall employment levels, especially among women, which account for 88% of military spouses, the asso- ‘Vanguard of a generation’ ciation and other military advo- cates want to capitalize on the shift Defense Secretary Austin tells graduating West Point cadets they’re ready to face down emerging threats SEE REMOTE ON PAGE 4 Associated Press “You’re watching as Amer- strain, economic fallout, painful issues of rac- WEST POINT, N.Y. — U.S. Defense Secre- ica’s longest war winds down. ism and discrimination, social tensions and the tary Lloyd Austin told U.S. Military Academy And you’re seeing technology end of a long and controversial war,” said Aus- cadets Saturday they were graduating during change the character of war tin. “Well, that all sounds pretty familiar to “exceptionally tough circumstances” but that itself. And even as big and ris- those of us from the Class of 1975.” West Point prepared them to face the extraor- ing powers jostle and com- West Point’s graduation ceremony returned dinary threats from pandemics to terrorism. pete, you’re seeing new to Michie Stadium a year after the pandemic Austin spoke to about 1,000 cadets becoming threats from pandemics to prompted a change in venue. Last year, then- Austin U.S. Army second lieutenants in a ceremony terrorism to cyber weapons. President Donald Trump spoke to graduates held with pandemic precautions at West And you’re seeing those threats race across sitting spaced out on the academy’s nearby pa- Point’s football stadium. Austin, a 1975 gradu- borders like a gale,” said Austin, the nation’s rade field. ate of West Point, recalled his own years at the first Black defense secretary. Trump’s appearance was criticized as a po- academy as he told graduates their West Point “I might, I just might, have a bit of insight JACK SANDERS/Department of Defense training will keep them on course. into what you’re facing: a democracy under SEE READY ON PAGE 5 First lady Jill Biden listens to a facilitator from Military Above: Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy class of 2021 celebrate at the end of their graduation ceremony on Saturday, in West Point, N.Y. OneSource during a facility tour EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AP in Arlington, Va., on April 7. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Monday, May 24, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Activists block McDonald’s distribution in UK EXCHANGE RATES Military rates So. Korea (Won) 1,128.03 Associated Press ing the depots. spokesman for the group. Switzerland (Franc) .8980 Euro costs (May 24) $1.19 Thailand (Baht) 31.40 LONDON — Animal rights pro- The group said it intends to re- “The only sustainable and real- Dollar buys (May 24) 0.7976 Turkey (New Lira) 8.4052 British pound (May 24) $1.39 testers are blockading four main at the sites for at least 24 istic way to feed 10 billion people Japanese yen (May 24) 106.00 (Military exchange rates are those available McDonald’s distribution centers hours, causing “significant dis- is with a plant-based food system. South Korean won (May 24) 1,098.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ in the United Kingdom in an at- ruption” to the McDonald’s sup- Organic, free-range and ‘sustain- many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ tempt to get the burger chain to ply chain, adding that the move able’ animal-based options sim- Britain (Pound) 1.4155 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2064 your local military banking facility. Commercial commit to becoming fully plant- will affect some 1,300 restau- ply aren’t good enough,” he add- China (Yuan) 6.4342 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.1046 based by 2025. rants. ed. Egypt (Pound) 15.6599 when buying currency. All figures are foreign Animal Rebellion said Satur- “The meat and dairy industry A McDonald’s spokesperson Euro .8209 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7637 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ day that trucks and bamboo is destroying our planet: causing said the company was assessing Hungary (Forint) 286.08 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2555 structures are being used at the huge amounts of rainforest defor- the impact of “the disruption” on Japan (Yen) 108.93 INTEREST RATES distribution sites in Hemel estation, emitting immense quan- its restaurants. Kuwait (Dinar) .3006 Norway (Krone) 8.3871 Prime rate 3.25 Hempstead, Basingstoke, Coven- tities of greenhouse gases and “We apologize to our custom- Philippines (Peso) 47.94 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.69 Federal funds market rate 0.09 try and Heywood, Greater Man- killing billions of animals each ers for any disappointment Saudi Arab (Riyal) 3.7501 3­month bill 0.01 chester, to stop trucks from leav- year,” said James Ozden, a caused,” the spokesperson said. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3316 30­year bond 2.33 WEATHER OUTLOOK MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST MONDAY IN EUROPE TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 65/54 Kabul Seoul 77/51 63/53 Baghdad 99/70 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 63/53 74/62 95/52 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 65/45 70/60 52/44 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 67/62 100/83 Brussels Zagan Sasebo 90/87 Ramstein 67/43 71/61 Guam 59/48 52/46 83/80 Riyadh Lajes, 107/79 Doha Azores Stuttgart 108/80 63/60 66/40 Pápa Aviano/ 60/42 Vicenza 54/51 Naples 81/62 Okinawa Morón 77/74 80/53 Sigonella Rota Djibouti 84/51 The weather is provided by the 73/51 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 93/76 71/63 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 Monday, May 24, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Vets: Name Navy ship for Filipino hero BY SETH ROBSON commanded a nuclear-powered Stars and Stripes aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham American veterans in the Phi- Lincoln. lippines are backing a campaign Trinidad was born on Nov. 25, to name a U.S. warship after the 1890, in New Washington, Aklan only Filipino in the Navy to re- province, Panay, Philippines. He ceive the Medal of Honor. enlisted in the U.S. Navy as part of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Insular Force in the Philip- American Legion posts in Angeles pines in 1910 and served during City approved resolutions last both world wars until his retire- month calling on the Navy to name ment in 1945. He lived in Imus, a new warship after Telesforo Tri- Cavite, Philippines, until his death nidad. on May 8, 1968, at age 77, accord- Trinidad’s bravery aboard the ing to a website set up by the cam- USS San Diego during a disaster at paign. sea earned him the nation’s high- Tens of thousands of Filipinos est military honor, according to have served in the U.S. military. the Naval History and Heritage After the Philippines obtained in- Command. dependence in 1946, over 35,000 On Jan. 21, 1915, while on patrol Filipinos were recruited into the in the Gulf of California, the ar- U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1992 under mored cruiser conducted a four- a provision of the Republic of the hour, full-speed and endurance Philippines-United States Mili- trial. At the end of the trial, an ob- tary Bases Agreement. PHOTOS BY USS TELESFORO TRINIDAD CAMPAIGN Thousands of Americans of Fil- structed tube of one of the ship’s ipino descent enlisted during the boilers gave way, creating a chain Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions after a boiler explosion on the armored cruiser USS San Diego, on Jan. 21, 1915. same 40 years, and continue to do reaction of explosions that killed so, according to the campaign’s nine men and injured several oth- cape a burning fireroom on the website. ers, according to the National ship, was also awarded the Medal In an April 20 letter to Acting Medal of Honor Museum in Ar- of Honor.