Wel- Tering Heat in the Mojave Desert Than the Coronavirus, Which Has Forced Major ‘We’Re Not Changes to His Army National Training Center Rotation
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MILITARY FACES MLB Tattoo studio Shania Twain reflects Expanded field at base exchange on 25th anniversary of turns playoffs into could start trend game-changing album ‘September Madness’ Page 11 Page 14 Back page Study: Russia has most military means since end of Cold War » Page 3 Volume 79, No. 120 ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes ORT IRWIN, Calif. — Army Sgt. Jason Cho was more concerned about the swel- tering heat in the Mojave Desert than the coronavirus, which has forced major ‘We’re not changes to his Army National Training Center rotation. F Army and NTC leaders said they have worked hard to ensure that soldiers like Cho would be able to train at Fort Irwin with as little virus-related distraction as possible. They even found a silver lining — some of the changes forced by the pandemic could better prepare the Army to fight a near-peer adversary, like Russia or China, several top leaders said. As a combat medic with the 1st Infantry Division’s headquarters element, Cho was tasked taking a knee’ with monitoring the condition of soldiers throughout the September training exercise, in- cluding checking for coronavirus symptoms. But nearly two weeks into the rotation, Cho said his main challenge was soldiers’ overheating, as temperatures eclipsed 100 degrees. Training under pandemic conditions could SEE TRAINING ON PAGE 9 better prepare soldiers for the big fight Soldiers wear face coverings Sept. 20 as training at the Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California continues during the coronavirus pandemic. COREY DICKSTEIN/Stars and Stripes House lawmakers grill Pentagon officials over plan to pull US troops from Germany BY JOHN VANDIVER well thought out,” Rep. Adam Smith, D- “The level of detail we are getting here is 6,400 others back to the United States. The Stars and Stripes Wash., said during a House Armed Servic- just not acceptable. We need to hear bet- plan was met with skepticism by several es Committee hearing on the proposal. ter what the hell is going on.” lawmakers who raised concerns about the STUTTGART, Germany — The plan for Smith, the chairman of the committee, James Anderson, acting undersecretary strategy. Their questions included the high a large-scale U.S. force reduction in Ger- costs of moving large units and the possi- many remains a work in progress, Pen- also blasted Pentagon officials for failing of defense for policy, and Air Force Lt. Gen. to describe in any detail how and when the David W. Allvin, the director for strategy, bility of sparking more aggression in East- tagon officials said Wednesday as House ern Europe from Russia. push to cut troops in Germany would be plans, and policy for the Joint Staff, testi- lawmakers questioned whether the plan to “It looks like we are pulling back,” said implemented. fied Wednesday on the Pentagon effort to pull 12,000 troops from the country makes Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala. fiscal or strategic sense. “We are not getting the level of insight move roughly 5,600 troops in Germany “I don’t think this plan was particularly on this decision that we should,” he said. to different locations in Europe and about SEE GERMANY ON PAGE 7 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, October 2, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES American, United can reverse furloughs if aid OK’d Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9180 Euro costs (Oct. 2) ................................$1.15 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.59 Dollar buys (Oct. 2) ...........................€0.8290 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.7554 British pound (Oct. 2) .......................... $1.27 Associated Press (Military exchange rates are those Thursday and recall the workers. their labor unions are lobbying Japanese yen (Oct. 2) ........................103.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Oct. 2) ............1,141.00 United said the impasse forced for taxpayer money to pay work- Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance American Airlines and United for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the it to furlough 13,000 workers. ers for six more months, through Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3772 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For Airlines say they will begin to British pound .....................................$1.2875 United said it told leaders in the next March. Their request is tied nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3298 furlough 32,000 employees after purchasing British pounds in Germany), Trump administration and Con- up in stalled negotiations over a China (Yuan) ........................................6.7903 check with your local military banking lawmakers and the White House Denmark (Krone) ................................6.3373 gress that if payroll aid is ap- larger pandemic relief measure. facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7513 failed to agree on a broad pan- rates provided for reference when buying proved in the next few days, it too Industry officials acknowl- Euro .........................................$1.1739/0.8519 demic relief package that includes could undo the furloughs. edged that prospects were bleak Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7503 currency. All figures are foreign currencies to one dollar, except for the British pound, more federal aid for airlines. Airline employees and execu- for action before Thursday’s Hungary (Forint) .................................306.65 Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4272 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, American Airlines CEO Doug tives made 11th-hour appeals this deadline. They said, however, Japan (Yen) ...........................................105.68 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Parker said that if Washington week to Congress and the Trump they were cheered that the House Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3063 INTEREST RATES comes up with a deal with $25 bil- Norway (Krone) ...................................9.3160 administration to avert furloughs this week included airline payroll Philippines (Peso).................................48.48 Prime rate ................................................3.25 lion for airlines “over the next few when a federal prohibition on lay- help in a $2.2 trillion relief plan Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.83 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7510 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 days,” the company will reverse offs expires Thursday. that moved closer to Republicans’ Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3635 3-month bill ............................................. 0.10 19,000 furloughs set to begin The passenger airlines and preference for a lower price tag. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,163.41 30-year bond ...........................................1.46 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 69/58 Kabul 75/54 Seoul 67/55 Baghdad 102/72 Kandahar 83/45 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 68/52 70/58 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 57/46 59/52 75/64 Iwakuni 73/69 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 94/88 Brussels 61/53 Guam 95/79 59/49 Ramstein 73/65 84/81 Lajes, 61/46 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 98/71 99/77 69/66 64/52 69/50 Aviano/ Vicenza 59/55 Naples 71/61 Okinawa Morón 82/79 68/58 Sigonella Rota 80/60 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 92/81 70/64 76/69 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES Comics ................. 17 Crossword ............ 17 Faces ................... 14 Opinion ................ 16 Sports ............. 18-24 Friday, October 2, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MILITARY Report outlines Russian military rebound BY JOHN VANDIVER in disarray after the collapse of the Soviet “Russia’s annexation of Crimea, its in- era, the air force has advanced since the Stars and Stripes Union. volvement in the war in eastern Ukraine first and second wars in Chechnya and Moscow also has benefited from lessons and its decisive intervention in the Syrian in the short Georgia campaign, which ex- STUTTGART, Germany — The Russian learned during its brief war with Georgia civil war exemplify growing military con- posed gaps in equipment and training. In military is more capable than at any time in 2008, which exposed command and con- fidence and capability,” the report said. 2015, air power improvements were on dis- since the end of the Cold War, the result of trol and logistical shortcomings, the IISS Russia’s ground forces have modernized play in Syria with modernized fighters, the an effort to produce a more agile force, a report said. by fielding the Iskander short-range ballis- report said. new study found. While the Russians easily defeated the tic-missile system and new self-propelled However, it’s unclear if Russia’s armed “Though significantly smaller than their much smaller Georgian force, Moscow’s artillery. Combined with new command- forces can maintain their progress, given Soviet predecessors, these forces are bet- “New Look” reform program was launched and-control networks and drones, Russia’s budget constraints. ter equipped, with professional personnel to make improvements “in the wake