MILITARY NATION FACES Credit limit for troops More than 200 Debuting No. 1 in U.S. doubled as new uniforms airlifted to safety ‘still doesn’t feel real’ hit exchange shelves from California fires to seven-member BTS Page 3 Page 10 Page 14 Authentic gives Baffert surprising sixth Kentucky Derby win » Back page stripes.com Volume 79, No. 121 ©SS 2020 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas ANALYSIS Investigation findings echo Navy on fatal 2017 collision BY CAITLIN DOORNBOS Stars and Stripes YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — More than three years after the USS Fitzgerald collision that killed seven sailors, the U.S. federal agency investigating the cause has released its findings, which echo the Navy’s conclu- sions from months after the 2017 accident. The National Transportation Safety Board report, released Thursday, declared watch-stand- ing failures led to the guided-mis- sile destroyer’s collision with the Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal on June 17, 2017. According to the report, “[the] Fitzgerald’s bridge team’s fail- ure to take early and substantial action to avoid collision as the give-way vessel in a crossing situ- ation” was the probable cause of the collision. The Navy censured the Fitzger- ald’s then-commander and a tactical action officer after the accident. Neither was punished and both were allowed to retire. The Fitzgerald was about 60 nautical miles southwest of Yoko- suka, where it was homeported, when the collision happened. As the vessel approached the ACX Crystal, neither radioed the other, according to the NTSB report. By the time watch officers iden- China changing world order tified the danger and tried to turn the ship to avoid collision, it was too late, according to the report. Seven sailors died, three were se- International status quo entering uncharted waters riously injured and the Fitzgerald SEE FINDINGS ON PAGE 4 BY KEN MORITSUGU it is China’s turn to take the global stage. creasingly see its growing economic and Associated Press Seventy-five years after Japan’s surren- military prowess as a threat. In turn, China, DANGEROUS WATERS der in World War II, and 30 years after its again like Japan, feels the West is trying to BEIJING economic bubble popped, the emergence of limit its rise, fueling nationalistic sentiment wice in the 20th century, Japan among both its public and leaders. The Fitzgerald crash was the first a 21st century Asian power is shaking up challenged the West, first in a What’s changed, though, is the global of two deadly collisions the Navy military-led attempt to become the status quo. landscape — post-colonial to start, and suffered in 2017. The USS McCain an imperial power and then as As Japan did, China is butting heads with collided with another civilian ship T an industrial powerhouse. Now the established Western powers, which in- SEE ORDER ON PAGE 12 in August, claiming the lives of 10 sailors. The McCain returned to sea Chinese honor guard raise the Chinese flag during the commissioning ceremony of China’s Shandong aircraft carrier on Dec. 17, in October 2019. The Fitzgerald 2019 . China’s emergence as a 21st century economic and military power is shaking up the international world order. returned to sea in February, after LI GANG, XIANHUA NEWS AGENCY/AP 2 ½ years of repair work. PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Monday, September 7, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES TSA pilots ‘self-service’ ID checks at airport Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9122 Euro costs (Sept. 7) ..............................$1.16 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.37 Dollar buys (Sept. 7) ........................€0.8228 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.4496 British pound (Sept. 7) ........................$1.30 (Military exchange rates are those BY LORI ARATANI the pandemic, in which avoiding rapid testing and deployment Japanese yen (Sept. 7) ......................104.00 available to customers at military banking South Korean won (Sept. 7) ..........1,160.00 facilities in the country of issuance close encounters is becoming the of this touchless, self-service Commercial rates The Washington Post for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3767 norm, particularly in places such technology.” Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For British pound .....................................$1.3290 WASHINGTON — The Trans- nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., as airports, where large num- But the use of facial scans is Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3046 purchasing British pounds in Germany), portation Security Administra- China (Yuan) ........................................6.8425 bers of unrelated people come controversial and has raised check with your local military banking Denmark (Krone) ................................6.2778 tion is launching a pilot program facility. Commercial rates are interbank together. concerns among lawmakers, pri- Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.8114 at Reagan National Airport that rates provided for reference when buying “In light of COVID-19, ad- vacy advocates and civil rights Euro ........................................$1.1852/0.8438 will use facial scanners — rather Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7504 currency. All figures are foreign currencies vanced health and safety precau- groups. They said that even dur- Hungary (Forint) .................................303.86 to one dollar, except for the British pound, than humans — to verify travel- which is represented in dollars-to-pound, tions have become a top priority ing a pandemic, it is important to Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.3729 ers’ identities. Japan (Yen) ...........................................106.21 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) The program is part of a long- and part of the new normal for make sure measures are put into Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3060 INTEREST RATES TSA,” Administrator David Pe- place to ensure the technology is Norway (Krone) ...................................8.8974 standing push by the agency to Philippines (Peso).................................48.55 Prime rate ................................................3.25 automate the process for traveler koske said in a statement that used properly and that efforts are Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.76 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7508 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 verification, but it has taken on accompanied the announcement. made to safeguard any data that Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3641 3-month bill ............................................. 0.12 a new sense of urgency during “As a result, we are exploring is collected. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,188.03 30-year bond ...........................................1.47 WEATHER OUTLOOK MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST MONDAY IN EUROPE TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 80/74 Kabul 91/64 Seoul 75/67 Baghdad 112/76 Kandahar 93/64 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 79/67 86/74 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 64/51 60/49 79/72 Iwakuni 81/77 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 94/89 Brussels 63/51 Guam 102/81 68/47 Ramstein 81/75 84/81 Lajes, 66/47 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 101/71 100/86 72/69 65/47 71/60 Aviano/ Vicenza 70/63 Naples 83/67 Okinawa Morón 81/78 98/61 Sigonella Rota 81/73 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 93/82 80/65 80/74 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 11 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 15 Crossword ................. 15 Faces ........................ 14 Opinion .................16-17 Sports .................. 18-24 Monday, September 7, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY Exchange doubles credit limit on troops’ uniforms BY COREY DICKSTEIN members of the National Guard statement. Stars and Stripes and Reserve are eligible to par- It will also allow soldiers to ticipate in the program. About pay over time for the new green WASHINGTON — Most U.S. 474,000 troops are now enrolled uniforms, which will replace the troops can now receive up to in the uniform credit program, blue Army Service Uniform as $1,000 credit with no interest for according to the exchange soldiers’ standard office attire by one year on military uniform pur- statement. 2027. The blues will become the chases through the Army and Air Sailors and Coast Guard mem- Army’s uniform for more formal Force Exchange Service’s credit bers are eligible for a promotional settings, such as unit galas. program, officials announced 0% plan for purchasing uniforms The Army Greens are expected this week. on the Military Star card’s stan- to be available at most exchange The change marks the first dard credit line, which is separate stores within the continental major adjustment to the Military from its uniform credit line. United States by December and Star card, the exchange’s credit The credit increase on the mili- at Army posts across the globe by program since it was launched tary clothing plan is meant to give March, the exchange said. in 1979, and it comes as the Ar- troops new opportunities to build Some soldiers have already ad- Eric Pilgrim my’s new World War II-inspired credit and give them more flex- opted the new look, modeled