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MILITARY MLB PLAYOFFS VIDEO GAMES Navy makes Both NL Division Lawsuit alleges Advance-to-Position Series forced to Fortnite is as program permanent deciding Game 5s addictive as cocaine Page 2 Back page Page 21 White House bars envoy from testifying in impeachment probe » Page 8 stripes.com Volume 78, No. 125 ©SS 2019 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Trump to host Erdogan amid Syria threats BY ROBERT BURNS next month. announced plans to move U.S. troops sion to move the U.S. troops cleared AND MATTHEW LEE The announcement came one day out of harm’s way in northern Syria the way for a Turkish invasion and Associated Press after Trump publicly warned Tur- because it seemed that Turkey was risks the release of thousands of ISIS key it would be in “big trouble” if any intent on moving into Syria to con- fighters and their families detained WASHINGTON — A day after American troops in Syria are injured front Kurdish fighters that it claims in Syria. Trump on Monday defend- threatening Turkey with economic during a military operation Turkey is are terrorists that threaten its nation- ed the decision, saying he was fulfill- ruin if it goes too far in invading preparing to launch against Kurdish al security. ing a campaign promise to withdraw northern Syria, President Donald fighters who had been allied with the The decision was roundly criticized from “endless war” in the Middle Trump said Tuesday that he and United States against Islamic State by some of the president’s staunchest East, and he warned Turkey that he Turkish President Recep Tayyip Er- militants. Republican allies in Congress and dogan will meet at the White House The White House earlier this week Democrats who said Trump’s deci- SEE SYRIA ON PAGE 5 Erdogan When war comes HOME A young pregnant widow of a soldier recently killed in Afghanistan returns to her tiny hometown for 2 milestones BY SHARON COHEN Associated Press TRUMANSBURG, N.Y. — On a late summer Sat- urday, a procession of fire engines, motorcycles and squad cars escorted a van down Main Street, greeted by clusters of flag-waving folks. By the time the cara- van had arrived at the American Legion hall, a crowd had gathered; lines of police, firefighters and the mili- tary parted to form a path of honor. Krista Johnston stepped from the van — an impossi- bly young widow. She wore her husband’s favorite blue- and-pink Hawaiian shirt; it seemed too big even over her pregnant belly. Sgt. James Johnston, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist, had been killed along with a Green Beret on June 25 in Uruzgan province in south-central Afghani- stan. Two months later, his adopted hometown had come together over a holiday weekend to pay tribute, and to say goodbye. SEE WIDOW ON PAGE 7 Krista Johnston stands next to a photo of her husband, Sgt. James Johnston, in Trumansburg, N.Y., in August. James Johnston was killed in Afghanistan in June while she was pregnant with their first child. DAVID GOLDMAN/AP PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Wednesday, October 9, 2019 MILITARY Program gives enlisted sailors new way to advance BY THERON GODBOLD Stars and Stripes The Navy made permanent this month a pilot program that allows petty officers second class in cer- tain high-demand career fields SARAH DOWE/U.S. Air Force to advance to petty officer first class. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sebastian Godsey plays a video game with airmen To qualify under the Advance- at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., on Sept. 18 . The Games to Grunts to-Position program, or A2P, program allows active-duty troops to download free video games. petty officers second class must complete necessary training and be within 12 months of transfer- Plan offers free video game ring to a new command, the chief of Naval Personnel said Monday in an announcement. downloads to troops, vets Sailors selected for A2P billets are eligible to wear the petty of- BY CHRISTIAN LOPEZ Locust Horde. The latest edition ficer first class rank insignia, a Stars and Stripes of the series, Gears of War 5, was practice called frocking, when released Sept. 10. Active-duty servicemembers they complete all schools and RYAN DELCORE/U.S. Navy To redeem the free game codes, and veterans can expand their gamers need a military ID to training for the position, the state- Steam video game library free ment said. They will be advanced A sailor is pinned to petty officer first class during a frocking register for an account at games- ceremony at Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan, in 2016. The Navy has through the Games to Grunts to the E-6 pay grade when they togrunts.weareosd.org. announced a new way for enlisted sailors to become a petty officer program from a nonprofit called OSD defines itself as a “veteran check into their new duty station. Operation Supply Drop. first class. support ecosystem” that supports The eligible career billets Games to Grunts is offering haven’t been finalized but are programs in social connectiv- of E-5s available to advance with- Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn digital download codes for sev- likely to be mostly within opera- ity, professional development and Fuller, a Navy career counselor at eral titles, including the most tional and technical ratings, Naval out adversely affecting manning community service, according to Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, told recent additions to the fighting- Personnel spokesman Lt. Cmdr. at the E-5 level, Cole said. its website. Stars and Stripes by phone Tues- game franchise titans Tekken 7 Adam Cole said in an email. Eligible candidates must have “We’ve become experts at put- day that the program is “a great and SoulCalibur 6. The Navy is planning to have a taken the E-6 exam with posted ting games in the hands of troops opportunity for sailors to fill pri- However, only a limited num- tentative list of billets by the end results. and have learned a lot while dis- ority jobs and make rank.” ber of codes and games are avail- of the week, with a finalized list Only active-duty sailors are tributing over 1 million games Interested sailors can get more able, according to a program Oct. 25 available for sailor appli- eligible for the program and they since 2010,” OSD states on its details by talking with their ca- announcement. cations online at CMS-ID, the Na- may apply to sea-duty billets re- Games to Grunts program page. reer counselors or by visiting the Some of the most popular ti- vy’s career management system, gardless of their sea and shore tles have already gone quickly. Steam is an online video duty rotation. MyNavy portal at https://my.navy. game distribution platform cre- Cole said. mil. Those include Gears of War 4, a The Navy will primarily con- However, sailors on shore duty third-person shooter that follows ated by Valve Corp. for personal sider ratings where there are who are due to rotate to sea duty Stars and Stripes reporter Joshua a conflict between humanity and computers. Karsten contributed to this report. large numbers of unfilled E-6 bil- will not be considered for shore [email protected] a race of ravenous subterranean [email protected] lets open and sufficient numbers duty billets in this program. Twitter @GodboldTheron reptilian hominids known as the Twitter: @CLopez_Stripes T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 17 Business .......................... 21 Classified ................... 19, 23 Comics ............................. 22 Crossword ........................ 22 Faces ............................... 18 Opinion ............................ 20 Sports .........................24-32 Weather ........................... 21 Wednesday, October 9, 2019 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Lawmaker: Leaving Open Skies Treaty ‘reckless’ BY JOHN VANDIVER Poland and Lithuania. The U.S. has re- Stars and Stripes ‘ The United States should prepare for the challenge that sponded by putting restrictions on some Russian flights over U.S. territory. STUTTGART, Germany — A U.S. with- Russia presents — not abandon mechanisms that [are] an Engel said he supports maintaining drawal from a pact that allows the Rus- important tool in maintaining surveillance on Russia. ’ certain restrictions on Russian flights in sian military to be monitored from the air response to Moscow denying access to Ka- would divide allies and empower Moscow, Rep. Eliot Engel D-N.Y. liningrad and to the breakaway Georgian a top American lawmaker warned after territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. what he said were reports that the Trump “But it is clear that these implementation administration is considering quitting the concerns do not rise to the level of mate- Open Skies Treaty. ble and predictable partner when it comes The treaty, which took effect in 2002, al- rial breach of the Treaty, an excuse that is Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., chairman of to European security.” lows the 34 countries that have signed it to being peddled as the potential reason for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Consultations with Congress and allies conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnais- withdrawal,” Engel wrote. warned in a letter Monday to national se- are essential before any attempt to pull out sance flights over the others’ territories The treaty “continues to serve American curity adviser Robert O’Brien that leaving of the treaty or alter the terms of it, said to monitor military forces and activities. the 17-year-old accord would be a “reck- Engel . He did not elaborate on what reports Member countries must allow a certain national security interests and is particu- less action” and “only benefit Russia.” said that the White House was leaning to- number of overflights of their territory larly important as a check against further “NATO allies and partners, and Ukraine ward pulling out of the treaty.

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