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MILITARY VIRUS OUTBREAK FACES Yokota creates Study finds vaccine Blues guitarist Guy, time capsule to doesn’t affect levels PBS look back on mark pandemic of variant in subjects his legendary career Page 4 Page 6 Page 14 Italian Jacobs takes surprising gold in Olympic 100 ›› Page 24 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 76 ©SS 2021 MONDAY,AUGUST 2, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas AFGHANISTAN PACIFIC Guam exercises provide ‘at-scale’ test of new Army, Air Force concepts BY WYATT OLSON Stars and Stripes Joint U.S. Army and Air Force exercises centered on Guam are intended to keep adversaries guessing about how America’s armed forces would defend and attack during a conflict, a top Pa- cific Air Forces official said Sun- day. “We know one thing for sure is that they’ve studied the way that the U.S., our allies and partners have employed force when it’s been necessary,” Lt. Gen. Jon Thomas, deputy commander of Pacific Air Forces, told reporters during a conference call that also included Gen. Charles Flynn, commander of U.S. Army Pacific. “[Adversaries] believe that we’ll concentrate and will build large mountains of sustainment and supply, and then we’ll wait to go forward,” Thomas said. “We know that we can’t wait to do that, Towering concern SEE EXERCISES ON PAGE 3 LORENZO TUGNOLI/For The Washington Post A policeman stands on guard duty in a tower along the security perimeter of Kunduz prison. Afghan forces are concerned that the Taliban will free fellow fighters by breaching the walls of central prisons, which hold around 5,000 militants. As the Taliban close in on provincial capitals, Afghan forces scramble to defend prisons holding thousands of militants BY SUSANNAH GEORGE ed. “Is tonight going to be our last night in front lines and reinforce the prison, the special The Washington Post here?” forces’ move was a gamble. But it appeared to KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Huddled in Taliban fighters planned to storm the com- work: The night passed without incident. DANIEL PROPER/U.S. Army brightly lit yards late one recent night, hun- pound that evening, according to information As Taliban militants close in on Afghanis- Soldiers from 1st Special Forces dreds of inmates taunted a team of about a doz- gathered by local intelligence officers. Gov- tan’s provincial capitals, they are inching clos- Group and members of the Japan en special forces who were rounding the walls ernment forces hoped the show of force would er to central prisons that house around 5,000 of Ground Self-Defense Forces along the top of Kunduz prison. spur prisoners — some in possession of smug- their fellow fighters, leaving the government Group parachute during a joint The appearance of elite soldiers was an gled cellphones used to communicate with the scrambling to secure the detention facilities. If airborne operation on Andersen anomaly, a sign to the prisoners that something Taliban — to wave off the attack. Air Force Base, Guam, on Friday was happening. “What’s going on?” they shout- Without enough fighters to hold the city’s SEE TOWERING ON PAGE 5 during Exercise Forager 21. PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Monday, August 2, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER Walmart mandates vaccines for workers at HQ EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,154.07 Associated Press The moves are part of a series of “We’re hoping that will influence Switzerland (Franc) .9063 Euro costs (Aug. 2) $1.16 Thailand (Baht) 32.93 NEW YORK — Walmart is re- sweeping measures the nation’s even more of our frontline associ- Dollar buys (Aug. 2) 0.8195 Turkey (New Lira) 8.4323 British pound (Aug. 2) $1.36 quiring that all workers at its head- largest retailer and private employ- ates to become vaccinated,” Wal- Japanese yen (Aug. 2) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available quarters as well as its managers who er announced Friday to help curb mart spokesman Scott Pope said. South Korean won (Aug. 2) 1,117.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ travel within the United States be the spread of the virus and drive Pope declined to show the vacci- many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) .3769 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ vaccinated against COVID-19 by more of its workers to get the shot in nation rate for frontline workers and Britain (Pound) 1.3892 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2479 your local military banking facility. Commercial Oct. 4. the arm. the rest of Walmart’s employees. China (Yuan) 6.4615 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.2742 The retailer based in Bentonville, The vaccine mandate excludes Walmart is also encouraging cus- Egypt (Pound) 15.7044 when buying currency. All figures are foreign Ark., is also reversing its mask poli- frontline workers, who the company tomers to wear masks in stores lo- Euro .8434 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7736 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ cy for its employees working in says have a lower vaccination rate cated in areas with surging cases Hungary (Forint) 302.43 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2273 stores, clubs, distribution facilities than management. But it’s hoping and will be adding back signs at the Japan (Yen) 109.76 INTEREST RATES and warehouses. Going forward, that managerial employees, who entrances. It will also bring back so- Kuwait (Dinar) .3004 Norway (Krone) 8.8352 Prime rate 3.25 they will be required to wear masks represent just a fraction of its 1.5 mil- called health ambassadors who will Philippines (Peso) 49.97 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.85 Federal funds market rate 0.09 in areas with high infection rates, lion workers, will serve as inspira- be stationed at the entrances and Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7503 3­month bill 0.06 even if they have been vaccinated. tion. hand out masks. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3553 30­year bond 1.89 WEATHER OUTLOOK MONDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST MONDAY IN EUROPE TUESDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 79/71 Kabul 90/56 Seoul 81/74 Baghdad 113/82 Osan Tokyo Kandahar Drawsko 82/76 85/75 98/63 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 65/58 82/79 68/50 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 81/78 110/88 Zagan Sasebo 98/92 Brussels Ramstein 67/57 83/78 Guam 66/56 66/53 87/84 Riyadh Lajes, 109/82 Doha Azores Stuttgart 110/87 74/71 68/57 Pápa Aviano/ 75/62 Vicenza 73/61 Naples 87/74 Okinawa Morón 83/80 91/62 Sigonella Rota 104/75 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 79/60 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 99/83 85/76 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................15 Crossword ................... 15 Faces .......................... 14 Opinion ........................ 16 Sports .................... 17-24 Monday, August 2, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY 2 Royal Navy ships to patrol Indo-Pacific BY ALEX WILSON range of more than 5,500 nautical miles, a Kingston said he doesn’t expect the ges- aircraft defense. Stars and Stripes maximum speed better than 24 knots and a ture will have lasting significance, or the The Spey, skippered by Lt. Cmdr. Ben The Royal Navy will permanently sta- maximum crew of 45, plus a contingent of U.K. to remain active in the Pacific for Evans, was commissioned on June 18, ac- tion two offshore patrol vessels in the In- 50 Royal Marines, according to the Royal long. cording to the Royal Navy’s website. The do-Pacific region later this summer, ac- Navy website. “Boris Johnson needs to show the Brit- fifth and last of the second-generation Riv- cording to the U.K. Ministry of Defence. They also have flight decks that can sup- ish that [the U.K.] still stands tall in the er-class ships, the vessel was built by BAE The HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, both port a Merlin helicopter. post-Brexit world and appeals to those Systems at its shipyard on the River Clyde. River-class vessels, will deploy in August Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies who crave to punch above the U.K.’s The Tamar, fourth of its class and led by and “will be supported by partners during at Temple University Japan, described the weight and is also eager to demonstrate Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hutchinson, was com- their operations, including Australia, Ja- deployment as a “largely symbolic” ges- that London remains Washington’s relia- missioned in December in Portsmouth. It pan and Singapore,” according to an email ture meant to demonstrate solidarity with ble deputy sheriff,” he wrote. was also built by BAE Systems. from the ministry to Stars and Stripes on the United States and its allies in their on- The Spey and Tamar are currently The two ships will precede a scheduled July 21. going efforts to contain China. homeported in Portsmouth, England. visit by the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the A spokesman attributed that informa- “This is aimed at countering China’s re- Their armament includes a remotely oper- U.K. carrier strike group to Japan and the tion to the ministry itself, in keeping with gional hegemonic ambitions and rising ated Oerlikon 30 mm gun for defense Indo-Pacific in September. the department’s policy. It did not specify tensions associated with this powershift,” against short-range missiles and other ex- where the ships would be stationed.

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