Air Force Rolls out Shorts on Okinawa
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BOXING FACES CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Wilder-Fury II ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ DODEA Pacific South Korea shapes up as leaving indelible mark cancels sports reports 1st death exciting rematch after 6 seasons on TV tournaments linked to illness Back page Page 18 Back page Page 3 Navy looking for $40B in savings so it can pay for more ships » Page 6 Volume 78, No. 220 ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas Air Force rolls out shorts on Okinawa BY MATTHEW M. BURKE said in a statement released this Stars and Stripes month. The material is tough, flexible CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — and stain resistant — similar to Airmen of the 18th Maintenance clothing worn by civilians in the Group at Kadena Air Base can maintenance and construction now sport blue uniform shorts on fields. the flight line to help them beat “I’m always hot out on the flight the suffocating Okinawa heat. line,” 67th Aircraft Maintenance The shorts were issued in Janu- Unit crew chief Airman 1st Class ary following the lead of stateside Richard Flagg said in the state- bases like Nellis Air Force Base ment. “Even at night I’m hot out- in Nevada, Luke Air Force Base side so these shorts are really nice in Arizona and Tyndall Air Force for keeping cool.” Base in Florida, that rolled out the shorts last summer, the 18th Wing SEE SHORTS ON PAGE 7 Airman 1st Class Richard Flagg, shown checking out an F-15C Eagle at Kadena Air Base, Japan, on Jan. 23, said in an Air Force statement that he expects the uniform change to boost morale. RHETT ISBELL/U.S. Air Force New USPS policy likely to mean longer waits at military post offices BY JOHN VANDIVER U.S. Army Europe in a statement could result in longer wait times, par- Stars and Stripes Wednesday said it is working to delay ticularly if customers elect to have postal the policy change, which is expected to clerks individually type declarations into STUTTGART, Germany — Mailing cause longer waits for customers. While retail system software. packages from military post offices is the Army tries to negotiate a delay, the Another option is filling out forms and about to become more of a hassle following military community should anticipate the printing them at home in advance. a new U.S. Postal Service rule that is doing change taking effect in March, USAREUR There also are plans to set up computer- away with handwritten customs declara- equipped kiosks at military post offices, tion forms. postal chief Bill Hilsher said. For decades, filling out paper customs USAREUR said. Beginning March 6, clerks at military “We ask for customers’ patience and forms has been a fixture of military life for post offices overseas will require cus- understanding if the policy change MARQUIS WHITEHEAD/U.S. Navy service members overseas, particularly tomers to use an electronic version of the causes longer wait times,” said Chuck Petty Officer 1st Class Alyssa Babcock, PS Form 2976 that should be typed and during the holiday season when customers Sharpe, program manager for Installation right, signs for department mail at Camp printed, the Postal Service said in a recent cram into postal offices. Lemonnier, Djibouti, on Dec. 12. announcement. USAREUR warned the new system SEE WAITS ON PAGE 7 PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, February 21, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9820 Airline passengers put up with continual delays Euro costs (Feb. 21) ..........................$1.1091 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.42 Dollar buys (Feb. 21) ........................€0.9016 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.0951 British pound (Feb. 21) ........................$1.32 (Military exchange rates are those Associated Press nearly unchanged from 2018. Delta Air Lines at 83.5%. Japanese yen (Feb. 21) ...................... 107.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Feb. 21) ..........1,166.00 The Transportation Depart- Cancellations rose to 1.9%, Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance WASHINGTON — Airline for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 ment said that 79% of domestic up from 1.7% in 2018. Hawaiian Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For travelers were a bit more likely British pound .....................................$1.2870 flights last year arrived within 15 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., had the lowest cancellation rate, Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3243 to be delayed, and more often for purchasing British pounds in Germany), minutes of the airline’s schedule China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.0246 while the highest rates belonged check with your local military banking longer spells, when flying around Denmark (Krone) ................................5.6426 — the government’s definition facility. Commercial rates are interbank to American, Southwest and Unit- Egypt (Pound) ......................................6.9038 the United States last year, ac- of being on time. That was down rates provided for reference when buying ed. Those three big airlines are Euro .........................................$1.0817/0.9245 cording to a government report from 79.2% in 2018. Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7819 currency. All figures are foreign currencies the only U.S. carriers that own Hungary (Forint) .................................312.16 to one dollar, except for the British pound, issued Wednesday. Hawaiian Airlines took home which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Boeing 737 Max jets, and they Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4266 Canceled flights were up, as the prize for being the nation’s Japan (Yen) ........................................... 112.16 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) were the number of passengers most punctual airline for the 16th were forced to scrub thousands Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3066 INTEREST RATES bumped off overcrowded flights. of flights after the planes were Norway (Krone) ...................................9.2891 straight year. Blessed by good Philippines (Peso)................................. 50.75 Prime rate ................................................4.75 But travelers are apparently weather where it operates most grounded worldwide in March Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.96 Discount rate ..........................................2.25 2019 following two deadly crash- Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7511 Federal funds market rate ...................1.58 learning to take it all in stride. of its flights, Hawaiian scored an Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3996 3-month bill .............................................1.55 The rate of complaints remained 87.7% on-time mark, followed by es overseas. South Korea (Won) ......................... 1,205.94 30-year bond ...........................................2.02 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 47/34 Kabul 59/32 Seoul 42/36 Baghdad 69/50 Kandahar 66/42 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 48/38 57/40 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 49/38 42/38 50/46 Iwakuni 55/49 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 68/64 Brussels 42/38 Guam 68/57 47/37 Ramstein 56/52 83/79 Lajes, 45/36 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 70/47 74/62 61/57 44/35 45/36 Aviano/ Vicenza 49/32 Naples 56/42 Okinawa Morón 70/66 68/48 Sigonella Rota 59/37 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 84/71 65/52 54/50 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 19 Comics ...................... 21 Crossword ................. 21 Faces ........................ 18 Faith ......................... 20 Opinion ................ 22-23 Sports .................. 25-32 Friday, February 21, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 PACIFIC S. Korea reports 1st virus death BY KIM GAMEL DODEA officials AND YOO KYONG CHANG Stars and Stripes cancel events in SEOUL, South Korea — South Pacific Page 29 Korea reported its first corona- virus-linked death Thursday, while the U.S. military tight- ened restrictions on travel to the More than 2,000 people have died southeastern city of Daegu due to — most in mainland China. an outbreak in infections in the A South Korean man in his 60s area. died Wednesday at a hospital in Daegu also urged residents to the southeastern city of Cheong- stay home as the city of 2.5 mil- do and posthumously tested posi- lion people and surrounding areas tive for the virus, the KCDC said KIM JUN-BEOM, YONHAP/AP struggled to contain an outbreak Thursday. It was South Korea’s of the pneumonia-like disease. first death from the virus. Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant against the new coronavirus in front of a church in The Army garrison in Daegu USFK raised the risk level for Daegu, South Korea, on Thursday . also restricted access and an- the military community to mod- nounced that schools and nones- erate on Wednesday and banned Nonessential personnel were The garrison also lifted lim- Kwon Young-jin was quoted as sential business would be closed all nonessential travel to Daegu not required to go to work on Fri- its on wearing face masks for saying by The Associated Press. for a second day Friday. due to an outbreak linked to a day and most activities would be American troops in uniform, USFK also has implemented In an exception