MILITARY MILITARY FACES Marines: Report Former US Army Latest film in saga on wastewater in Europe commander takes ‘Purge’ to Japan ‘inaccurate’ Meigs dies at 76 US-Mexico border Page 3 Page 4 Page 14 No. 1 Djokovic claims 20th major with Wimbledon victory ›› Tennis, Page 19 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 61 ©SS 2021 MONDAY,JULY 12, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK Report finds legal training lacking for commanders BY NANCY MONTGOMERY Stars and Stripes Legal training provided to com- manders may be inadequate, a government watchdog agency found in a report released as Con- gress determines whether to re- move commanders from prosecu- torial decision-making in cases in- volving suspected sexual assault. The Government Accountabili- ty Office, after analyzing legal training and holding discussions with commanders and legal sup- port staff, found that “perspec- tives varied on the general prepa- redness of commanders to ad- dress legal issues. “In addition, GAO found that the timing, amount, and mix of le- gal training provided to com- manders may not be meeting their needs,” said the report released Thursday. Commanders may be respon- sible for many legal duties, includ- AHN YOUNG-JOON/AP ing making criminal justice deci- People wait in line for coronavirus testing at a Public Health Center in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday. South Korea will enforce its strongest sions, conforming with interna- distancing restrictions in the capital area starting next week as it wrestles with what may be the worst wave since the start of the pandemic. tional law and complying with the rules of engagement in combat. Legal training is generally re- served for mid-level command- US military mandates ‘immediate, ers, but “commanders from all four services indicated that they would have benefited from dedi- cated legal training earlier in their careers,” the report said. aggressive’ restrictions in S. Korea However, commanders of simi- Directive comes as the South Korean government deals with record-setting number of new cases SEE TRAINING ON PAGE 3 BY DAVID CHOI the country’s number of known infections to 165,344. “GAO found that the Stars and Stripes 1,316 “To protect our communities and our mission, we timing, amount, and mix CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — The U.S. are implementing an immediate, aggressive ap- military in South Korea reimposed a mandatory Number of new coronavirus patients proach to prevent the virus’ spread any further,” of legal training provided mask policy and restricted travel to Seoul as the na- announced by the South Korean USFK commander Gen. Paul LaCamera said in a to commanders may not tion recorded another record-breaking number of government on Friday. Seoul reported statement. coronavirus cases Friday. 583 cases Wednesday, the highest Seoul reported 583 cases Wednesday, the highest be meeting their needs.” The U.S. Forces Korea directive, which lasts number of daily transmissions there number of daily transmissions there since the pan- through July 23, came as the South Korean govern- since the pandemic began. There were Government Accountability Office ment announced 1,316 new patients Friday, bringing 503 new patients on Friday. SEE RESTRICTIONS ON PAGE 6 report, released Thursday PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Monday, July 12, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER China vows reprisal as US blacklists companies EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,145.48 Associated Press sures to firmly safeguard Chinese firms and other businesses helped Switzerland (Franc) .9141 Euro costs (July 12) $1.16 Thailand (Baht) 32.52 BEIJING — China on Sunday companies’ legitimate rights and enable “Beijing’s campaign of re- Dollar buys (July 12) 0.8221 Turkey (New Lira) 8.6610 British pound (July 12) $1.35 said it will take “necessary mea- interests,” the ministry’s statement pression, mass detention and high- Japanese yen (July 12) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available sures” to respond to the U.S. black- said. technology surveillance” against South Korean won (July 12) 1,119.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ listing of Chinese companies over No details were given, but China Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ their alleged role in abuses of has denied allegations of arbitrary The penalties prohibit Ameri- Britain (Pound) 1.3890 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2456 your local military banking facility. Commercial Uyghur people and other Muslim detention and forced labor in the cans from selling equipment or China (Yuan) 6.4789 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2623 ethnic minorities. far western region of Xinjiang and other goods to the firms. The Unit- Egypt (Pound) 15.6901 when buying currency. All figures are foreign The Commerce Ministry said increasingly responded to sanc- ed States has stepped up financial Euro .8421 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7660 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ the U.S. move constituted an “un- tions against companies and offi- and trade penalties over China’s Hungary (Forint) 299.45 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2810 reasonable suppression of Chinese cials with its own bans on visas and treatment of Uyghurs and other Japan (Yen) 110.17 INTEREST RATES enterprises and a serious breach of financial links. Muslim minorities, along with its Kuwait (Dinar) .3010 Norway (Krone) 8.6847 Prime rate 3.25 international economic and trade The U.S. Commerce Depart- crackdown on democracy in the Philippines (Peso) 50.14 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.83 Federal funds market rate 0.09 rules.” ment said in a statement Friday semi-autonomous city of Hong Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7508 3­month bill 0.06 China will “take necessary mea- that the electronics and technology Kong. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3513 30­year bond 1.98 WEATHER OUTLOOK MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST MONDAY IN EUROPE TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 68/65 Kabul 94/57 Seoul 88/76 Baghdad 113/80 Osan Tokyo Kandahar Drawsko 87/75 79/72 108/75 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 79/61 78/75 66/59 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 78/74 114/92 Zagan Sasebo 97/92 Brussels Ramstein 77/65 81/76 Guam 71/60 73/57 84/81 Riyadh Lajes, 113/85 Doha Azores Stuttgart 114/86 69/66 76/55 Pápa Aviano/ 82/64 Vicenza 84/63 Naples 86/71 Okinawa Morón 93/80 97/71 Sigonella Rota 94/69 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 77/69 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 102/88 82/74 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 14 Opinion ........................ 15 Sports .................... 18-24 Monday, July 12, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Marines rebuke report of toxic water in Japan BY MATTHEW M. BURKE AND HANA KUSUMOTO Stars and Stripes CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Marine Corps has pushed back against Japanese public broadcaster NHK, which report- ed Wednesday that the U.S. mili- tary wants to release harmful con- taminants into a local river on Oki- nawa. The report, which cited un- named officials from Japan’s Min- istry of Defense, said the U.S. mil- itary informed the Japanese gov- ernment of its intention to release treated sewage containing conta- minants known as PFOS into a riv- er near Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The report said the Japanese plan to turn down the request. In a statement Thursday, Ma- rine Corps Installations Pacific said water would be treated and then released through the public wastewater system. Stars and Stripes “The story reported by NHK on ADAM BUTLER/U.S. Navy July 7 was inaccurate,” the state- A sign posted by town officials in May 2019 warns people about polluted spring water in Kadena, Okinawa. ment said. “Marine Corps Installations Pa- cific and United States Forces Ja- Prefectural Enterprise Bureau, ground reservoir holding contam- Personnel recovery drills the agency responsible for the is- inated water overflowed in heavy pan have been coordinating with land’s water supply and quality, rains, according to a June 12 state- Sailors practice moving injured personnel during personnel recovery the Ministry of Defense and the told Stars and Stripes by phone ment from U.S. Army Garrison training aboard Independence­variant littoral combat ship USS Ministry of the Environment to re- Thursday that the water would be Okinawa. The water spilled into Charleston on Thursday in the South China Sea. The Charleston is on lease treated water through the released into the sea around Oki- an adjacent drainage ditch lead- a rotational deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of public wastewater system; this operations in support of a free and open Indo­Pacific region. nawa and not into a river. He add- ing off-base. wastewater is fully compliant with ed that the water would likely not The firefighting foam contained Japanese drinking water guide- be PFOS-free. both PFOS and PFOA, NHK re- lines to include target levels for Government officials in Japan ported. PFOS and PFOA, which are stric- customarily speak to the media on The reservoirs were “never in- ter than U.S. Environmental Pro- condition of anonymity. tended” to contain the foam and Training: Courses vary tection Agency and Department of PFOS and PFOA are virtually were “not designed to contain Defense guidelines.” identical synthetic, fully fluorinat- overflows of water,” the Army PFOS and PFOA are found in ed organic acids, though their con- statement said.