Lessons Learned SIGAR for Public Release, the Watch- Dog Said in the Report
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MILITARY VIDEO GAMES WAR/MILITARY Army considering return Wastelanders update Coalition airstrikes to large-scale training marks a major step destroy caves housing exercises amid pandemic forward for Fallout 76 ISIS militants in Iraq Page 3 Page 11 Page 4 Little League World Series canceled for the first time » Back page Volume 79, No. 10A ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK AFGHANISTAN US-led coalition restricts release of violence data, watchdog says BY PHILLIP WALTER WELLMAN Stars and Stripes KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S.- led coalition in Afghanistan is for the first time withholding information about enemy attacks in Afghanistan from the public, as violence rises in the country and the U.S. begins drawing down its troops, a U.S. gov- ernment watchdog said Friday. Casualty figures among U.S.- trained and funded Afghan security forces have also been classi- fied, adding to a growing list of data that’s been restricted or is no longer tracked, the Special Inspec- ALEX CORONA/U.S. Navy tor General for Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Sullivan, center, addresses the medical team while preparing for sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Afghanistan Kidd to arrive April 28 as part of the Navy’s aggressive response to the COVID-19 outbreak on board the ship. Reconstruction Sopko John Sopko said in a quarterly report to Congress. Enemy attack information, which was used to measure security in Afghanistan, “was one of the last remaining metrics” provided to Lessons learned SIGAR for public release, the watch- dog said in the report. The U.S.-led NATO Resolute Support mission Information derived from USS Roosevelt outbreak helped USS Kidd told SIGAR it is withholding the information because it’s become a critical part of discussions in ongo- BY ROBERT BURNS lessons learned from the outbreak aboard INSIDE ing negotiations between the U.S. Associated Press the aircraft carrier, the USS Roosevelt, Roosevelt cases has allowed the Kidd to avoid a similar and Taliban, the report said. WASHINGTON — The Navy destroyer spectacle of crisis. The Defense Department may re- USS Kidd was heading east across the Pa- exceed 1K; Navy The Kidd’s circumstance is not com- lease the data once those discussions cific from Pearl Harbor when it added an pletely comparable to that of the nuclear- end, according to the report. unusual twist to its transit — a quarantine- launches probe powered Roosevelt, whose crew of 4,900 Instead of providing SIGAR with and-isolation drill. The practice was part is far larger and whose presence in the enemy attack information, including of a new protocol built on lessons from a Page 5 Pacific is a bigger symbol of American successful attacks, Resolute Sup- coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft power. But Wemett says his ship benefited port said that in the month follow- carrier soon to be sidelined with sickness. from information and guidance derived ing the signing of the U.S.-Taliban “That ... actually helped us quite a bit to Get the latest on from the unfolding and unforeseen disas- deal, attacks by the insurgents on prepare for what was to come,” the Kidd’s the virus outbreak ter aboard the aircraft carrier. coalition forces decreased but those commanding officer, Cmdr. Nathan For example, on April 20, the Kidd on Afghan security forces were at Wemett, said in a telephone interview stripes.com/coronavirus received new medical guidance on ad- levels beyond “seasonal norms,” the Thursday from aboard the ship. ditional symptoms to be watching for as report said. What was coming a few weeks later indicators of possible coronavirus. The U.S. has begun withdrawing for Wemett and his crew of about 330 was a COVID-19 “That drove us to report our first case” that same day, its forces as part of the deal signed outbreak that is just the second aboard a Navy ship at sea. Wemett said. with the Taliban, which would see Nearly one-quarter of the Kidd’s crew has the virus. Still, SEE KIDD ON PAGE 5 SEE WATCHDOG ON PAGE 4 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Saturday, May 2, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9615 Apple tests feature to recognize masks Euro costs (May 4) ................................$1.06 Thailand (Baht) .....................................32.50 Dollar buys (May 4) .......................... €0.8961 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.0291 British pound (May 4) ..........................$1.22 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (May 1) ........................105.00 available to customers at military banking The Washington Post As masks become required or recent weeks, especially at work. South Korean won (May 1) ........... 1,188.00 facilities in the country of issuance strongly recommended across He is required to use a mask and Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Apple knows when you’re wear- Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3781 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For ing a face mask — and the compa- the country amid the spread of often pulls out his phone to check British pound .....................................$1.2520 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., the novel coronavirus, many inventory or find the right aisle Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.4035 purchasing British pounds in Germany), ny might make it easier to unlock China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0623 check with your local military banking your phone when it sees one. people have felt the now familiar for a customer. Denmark (Krone) ............................... 6.7959 facility. Commercial rates are interbank frustration. While users fumble “It will say failed, then failed Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7552 rates provided for reference when buying Apple is reportedly testing a Euro .........................................$1.0975/0.9111 currency. All figures are foreign currencies at a grocery store or out on a run again, then finally give you an Hong Kong (Dollar) ............................ 7.7522 to one dollar, except for the British pound, feature that checks to see if you which is represented in dollars-to-pound, to unlock their device, the phone option to enter a code,” he said. Hungary (Forint) .................................321.44 are wearing a mask, then sends Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.5041 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) you directly to the screen to enter gets confused until finally pre- “It gets kind of annoying. I wish Japan (Yen) ...........................................106.91 senting a keypad to unlock it. there was a faster way.” Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3094 INTEREST RATES a passcode on iPhones. Develop- Norway (Krone) .................................10.3182 ers who are part of Apple’s beta Stevie Johnson, a 19-year-old Apple did not respond to a re- Philippines (Peso).................................50.28 Prime rate ................................................3.25 Poland (Zloty) ......................................... 4.15 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 testing program reported seeing Target employee in San Bernardi- quest to confirm the feature. It’s Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7585 Federal funds market rate ...................0.04 the feature in the newest tests for no, Calif., has been repeatedly unclear when or if it would be- Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.4147 3-month bill ............................................. 0.10 30-year bond ...........................................1.27 iOS 13.5. frustrated by his facial unlock in come available on iPhones . South Korea (Won) .......................... 1223.96 WEATHER OUTLOOK SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST SATURDAY IN EUROPE SUNDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 65/54 Kabul 64/53 Seoul 66/57 Baghdad 86/65 Kandahar 86/62 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 68/58 74/59 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 56/44 53/47 61/57 Iwakuni 59/56 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 81/76 Brussels 56/47 Guam 88/73 57/45 Ramstein 66/62 83/79 Lajes, 53/43 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 99/74 92/71 63/60 55/47 65/49 Aviano/ Vicenza 63/52 Naples 67/60 Okinawa Morón 73/67 86/57 Sigonella Rota 78/50 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 91/82 75/53 67/59 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 16 Comics/Crossword ...... 18 Movies ................... 12-15 Opinion ..................... 17 Sports .................. 20-24 Video Games ..............11 Saturday, May 2, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MILITARY Army eyes return to major training exercises BY COREY DICKSTEIN thwart the virus’ spread, result- Stars and Stripes ing in the cancelation of planned rotations for four brigades. The WASHINGTON — The Army senior Army official said those believes many of the service’s brigades were expected to make large fighting formations can up those rotations in the future, return to critical, high-level and the next training rotations training exercises in the com- set to begin in June are expected ing weeks at their home stations to be held. and the service’s combat training The official played down the centers, senior service officials impact on the Army’s overall said Thursday. combat readiness caused by the The Army has developed pause in large training operations a rough framework meant to at JRTC, NTC