GAMES: Outriders is too good to play online only Page 26 ACADEMY MLB: Joey Gallo can do AWARDS more than slug Page 48 Previews, profiles and MUSIC: Pearl Jam guitarist predictions on 30 years of ‘Ten’ Page 28 Pages 15-20; 29 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 5 ©SS 2021 FRIDAY,APRIL 23, 2021 $1.00 Air Force to court-martial a general for the first time BY CHAD GARLAND Stars and Stripes Former Air Force Research Laboratory commander Maj. Gen. William Cooley will face a court- martial on sexual assault charges, making him the first general offi- cer to be prosecuted by the ser- vice. Cooley is accused of making un- wanted sexual advances by kiss- ing and touching a civilian woman during an off-du- ty incident in Al- buquerque, N.M., in August 2018. The wom- an is not a ser- vice member or Cooley Defense Depart- ment employee. Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., head of the Air Force Materiel Com- BRITTAINY NEWMAN/AP mand, referred one charge A New York City police officer watches as protesters march down Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Following the guilty verdict against against Cooley under the Uniform former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, the White House is pushing for changes to U.S. policing laws. Code of Military Justice, includ- ing three specifications of sexual assault under Article 120, the com- mand said in a statement Wednes- day. “I can assure you this was not a Reform at the forefront decision made lightly, but I be- lieve it was the right decision,” Bunch said in the AFMC state- ment. Both the research laborato- Chauvin verdict injects a fresh jolt of momentum into police overhaul efforts ry and the materiel command are headquartered at Wright-Patter- The Washington Post wrap up in the “next week or two” tentially fleeting moment of op- son Air Force Base in Dayton, WASHINGTON — The guilty as he sketched out potential areas portunity on policing revisions, a Ohio. verdict in the murder of George of compromise, particularly on priority that the president has em- The court-martial of an Air Floyd has injected momentum in- the sensitive matter of whether of- braced but that has often taken a Force general is unprecedented in to efforts by the White House and ficers can be sued for misconduct. back seat to others. The White the service’s 74-year history, Don Congress to overhaul policing Democrats and civil rights activ- House is strategizing with civil Christensen, president of the or- practices, with bipartisan talks ists, meanwhile, said they would rights groups and police organiza- ganization Protect Our Defenders picking up speed as President Joe push to pass legislation by the first tions, and Attorney General Mer- — which advocates for victims of Scott Booker Biden prepares to highlight the anniversary of Floyd’s death on rick Garland on Wednesday an- sexual assault in the military — topic in his address to a joint ses- issue, Sen. Tim Scott of South Car- May 25. nounced the Justice Department told the Dayton Daily News. sion of Congress next week. olina, said Wednesday that his dis- The flurry of talks came as the The chief GOP negotiator on the cussions with Democrats could White House sought to seize a po- SEE REFORM ON PAGE 9 SEE GENERAL ON PAGE 4 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, April 23, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER EUROPE GAS PRICES EXCHANGE RATES Country Super E10 Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Military rates South Korea (Won) 1118.57 Germany $3.130 $3.542 $3.792 $3.399 Azores .. .. $3.692 .. Switzerland (Franc) .9174 Euro costs (April 23) $1.18 Change in price +0.6 cents +0.8 cents +0.7 cents ­0.5 cents Change in price .. .. +0.7 cents .. Thailand (Baht) 31.36 Dollar buys (April 23) 0.8082 Turkey (NewLira) 8.3080 Netherlands .. $4.053 $4.354 $3.985 Belgium .. $2.989 $3.258 $3.011 British pound (April 23) $1.35 Japanese yen (April 23) 105.00 Change in price .. +8.6 cents +9.0 cents +4.5 cents Change in price .. No change No change No change (Military exchange rates are those available South Korean won (April 23) 1087.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the U.K. .. $3.441 $3.691 $3.298 Turkey .. .. $3.577 $4.026* Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ Change in price .. +0.8 cents +0.7 cents ­0.5 cents Change in price .. .. +0.7 cents No change many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3769 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ Britain (Pound) 1.3848 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2512 your local military banking facility. Commercial China(Yuan) 6.4900 rates are interbank rates provided for reference PACIFIC GAS PRICES Denmark (Krone) 6.1814 Egypt (Pound) 15.6992 when buying currency. All figures are foreign Country Super E10 Super unleaded Super plus Diesel Euro .8313 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Japan .. $3.579 .. $3.189 South Korea $2.929 .. $3.599 $3.199 Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7598 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Change in price .. No change .. ­1.0 cents Change in price No change .. +1.0 cents ­1.0 cents Hungary (Forint) 302.57 Israel (Shekel) 3.2586 Okinawa $2.919 .. .. $3.189 Guam $2.929 $3.339 $3.589 .. Japan (Yen) 108.50 INTEREST RATES Kuwait(Dinar) .3012 Change in price No change .. .. ­1.0 cents Change in price No change No change No change .. Norway (Krone) 8.3490 Prime rate 3.25 Philippines (Peso) 48.36 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 *DieselEFD **Midgrade Poland (Zloty) 3.79 Federal funds market rate 0.07 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7503 3­month bill 0.03 For the week of April 23­29 Singapore (Dollar) 1.3288 30­year bond 2.26 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 51/37 Kabul Seoul 64/41 69/57 Baghdad 94/73 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 67/56 63/43 87/51 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 47/34 61/57 55/32 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 59/56 Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 95/71 81/76 Ramstein 46/36 69/60 54/37 52/35 83/80 Riyadh Lajes, 96/67 Doha Azores Stuttgart 99/69 61/58 53/43 Pápa Aviano/ 56/43 Vicenza 56/46 Naples 56/52 Okinawa Morón 71/68 75/58 Sigonella Rota 64/44 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 66/50 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 88/75 62/55 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 36 Classified .................... 11 Comics ................... 38-39 Crossword ............. 38-39 Faces .......................... 35 Opinion ....................... 40 Sports .................... 41-48 Friday, April 23, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Senate confirms Indo-Pacific Command chief BY CAITLIN M. KENNEY 2019 Indo-Pacific strategy report standing mili- fiscal year 2021, which ends Sept. Aquilino to lead INDOPACOM. Stars and Stripes issued amid simmering tensions taries and five 30. Aquilino supported addition- “He is the right leader to de- WASHINGTON — Adm. John with China. nuclear-armed al funding for the initiative for fend against China and imple- Aquilino was confirmed by the “[China] seeks to reorder the nations. 2022. ment our National Defense Strat- Senate on Wednesday to be the region to its advantage by lev- During Aqui- Aquilino also warned during egy. I am grateful for his ser- next commander of Indo-Pacific eraging military modernization, lino’s confirma- the hearing that China’s nuclear vice,” he wrote. Command, making him the top influence operations, and preda- tion hearing, he stockpile is “increasing at a rate Aquilino is a Naval Academy military officer in the strategical- tory economics to coerce other agreed the Unit- that is faster than anyone previ- graduate and naval aviator who Aquilino ly important region. nations,” then acting Defense ed States need- ously believed,” but he down- spent his early career flying the Aquilino, who is now the com- Secretary Patrick Shanahan ed to bolster its funding for the played the concern over the num- F-14 Tomcat and the F-18 Hornet, mander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, was wrote in the report. “We will not region, including for the Pacific ber of warheads that the Chinese according to his Navy biography. confirmed by unanimous consent accept policies or actions that Deterrence Initiative, in order to possess. The Defense Depart- His resume also includes time as for the role. Adm. Phil Davidson, threaten or undermine the rules- challenge Chinese influence and ment has estimated the Chinese the Pacific Fleet’s director of who is now commander of INDO- based international order.” increase cooperation with allies stockpile is “in the low-200s” maritime operations, deputy PACOM, is expected to retire. The region is “a vital driver of and partners. compared to the U.S. inventory of chief of naval operations for op- The Indo-Pacific Command the global economy and includes The Pacific Deterrence Initia- nuclear warheads at 5,800. erations, plans and strategy and covers 36 nations in a region that the world's busiest international tive is designed to enhance bud- Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, 5th Fleet commander. the Defense Department deemed sea lanes and nine of the 10 large- get oversight and funnel re- the ranking Republican on the its “priority theater” and “the st ports,” according to the INDO- sources to key military capabili- Senate Armed Services Commit- Stars and Stripes staff writer Caitlin Doornbos contributed to this story.