MILITARY FACES NFL Exhibit honors ‘Joker’ laughs its Colts shut down canines, humans way to October Mahomes, Chiefs lost in battle box-office record offense in 19-13 win Page 2 Page 17 Back page South Korean helicopters authorized to fight virus in DMZ » Page 6 stripes.com Volume 78, No. 124 ©SS 2019 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Army exercise to be largest in Europe since the Cold War BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes STUTTGART, Germany — The U.S. Army will deploy a division headquarters, three tank brigades and thousands of other troops to Europe early next year to take part in what will be the largest American-led military exercise on the Continent in 25 years, U.S. European Command said Monday. Defender Europe-20, which will resemble the massive “Reforger” drills held during the Cold War era, will involve 37,000 troops, including about 20,000 U.S. sol- diers. Equipment will begin ar- riving in Europe in February and the exercises will be held in April and May. Military drills will take place in 10 different nations, but the main action will happen in Germany and Poland, EUCOM said. “Readiness is not only about having the right forces and ca- pabilities in place throughout the theater, it’s about exercising our ability to quickly receive and in- Trump pulls troops from Syria tegrate forces with our own and those of our allies and partners,” Lt. Gen. Christopher Cavoli, U.S. Army Europe commanding gen- eral, said in a statement. “This Pentagon warns Turkey not to invade following president’s decision to exit ability is critical in projecting force at a moment’s notice.” BY COREY DICKSTEIN ‘ allies and (anti-ISIS) coalition partners to During the Cold War, massive Stars and Stripes The U.S. has done far more reiterate to Turkey the possible destabilizing exercises, which focused on get- than anyone could have ever consequences of potential actions to Turkey, ting large numbers of troops to WASHINGTON — The Pentagon warned the region, and beyond.” Europe quickly, were an essen- Turkey against a military incursion in north- expected, including the capture The decision by Trump to remove the Amer- tial part of preparing for a poten- eastern Syrian land controlled by Kurdish of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. ican troops was announced late Sunday after tial war with the Soviet Union. forces that the U .S. has backed for five years in It is time now for others in the he spoke with Turk ish President Recep Tayy- Known as Reforger, or Return of their fight against Islamic State, the Defense ip Erdogan. The White House said Turkey Forces to Germany exercises, the Department said Monday in a statement. region, some of great wealth, would “soon be moving forward” with a mili- drills were a military staple that The Pentagon issued the statement 12 hours to protect their own territory. ’ tary intervention in northern Syria aimed at made the logistics of combat sec- after the White House announced it would ond nature for troops deployed to President Donald Trump Kurdish forces it considers terrorists, includ- remove U.S. troops from Syrian land along ing the YPG fighters who largely command Europe. Turkey’s border. the Syrian Democratic Forces, the group that SEE EXERCISE ON PAGE 4 “The Department of Defense made clear the United States has relied on in its yearslong to Turkey — as did the [President Donald U.S. military vehicles travel down a main fight against ISIS terrorists in Syria. Trump] — that we do not endorse a Turkish road in northeast Syria on Monday. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army operation in northern Syria. The U.S. armed U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces in Syria Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint forces will not support, or be involved in said U.S. troops began withdrawing New name, same Chiefs of Staff, warned their Turkish coun- any such operation,” Jonathan Hoffman, the Monday from their positions along mission for Army Pentagon’s chief spokesman said in the state- Turkey’s border in northeastern Syria . terparts in recent days against a military ment. “We will work with our other NATO HAWAR NEWS AGENCY, ANHA/AP SEE SYRIA ON PAGE 3 HQ in Poland Page 4 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Tuesday, October 8, 2019 MILITARY Sculptures honor military dogs, servicemembers BY MARTIN EGNASH gory for all the human suffering Stars and Stripes that’s harder to talk about,” Mel- lick said. A traveling exhibit of sculp- Another sculpture depicts Coo- tures depicting wounded military per K154, who was killed with working dogs seeks to get people her handler, Cpl. Kory Wiens, in talking about the servicemem- July 2007 by a bomb hidden in bers who worked, and sometimes a haystack in Iraq. Cooper and died, with the canines, while also Wiens’ ashes are buried together honoring the dogs’ service. in Wiens’ Or- “This exhibit shows the sacri- egon home- fices dogs have made in battle, but ‘ This town, and a it also shows the human sacrifice exhibit dog park has of their handlers,” Ohio-based been named sculptor James Mellick said in a shows the after the two recent phone interview. sacrifices at Fort Car- The sculptures are scheduled dogs have son, Colo. to begin a two-month run from The sculp- Nov. 8 to Jan. 21 at the National made in ture of Coo- Museum of the U.S. Air Force on battle, per has a Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, carved dove Ohio. There are now eight dogs but it also on its back carved out of cedar, walnut, pop- shows the and a football lar, sycamore and other woods in human in its mouth. Mellick’s collection, his website The dove U.S. Air Force says. Through the dogs, the ex- sacrifice signifies that hibit takes viewers from World of their Cooper has A n exhibit featuring sculptures by artist James Mellick of wounded military working dogs will be on War II up to the ongoing war in “earned her display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio from Nov. 8 t o Jan. 31 . Afghanistan. handlers. ’ angel wings” Among the stories Mellick tells James Mellick and the foot- Mellick in his sculptures is that of Lucca sculptor ball repre- poses with K458, a Marine Corps service sents the his wooden playfulness dog trained to detect explosives. sculptures of she showed during her lifetime, Lucca completed more than Lucca K458, Mellick’s website says. 400 missions during her six-year left, who lost The exhibit has been touring career, but in 2012, on patrol in a leg in an museums and events around the Afghanistan, she barely survived Afghanistan U.S. since 2015, when Mellick took a bomb blast. bomb blast, A sculpture of Lucca, who lost three of his wooden sculptures to the Ohio State Fair and the Viet- and Cooper one of her legs in the explosion, K154, who was was sculpted out of laminated nam Dog Handlers Association reunion in Nashville, Tenn. killed with her basswood that has been bleached, handler, Cpl. stained and burned for coloring. “People can relate to dogs in a way that’s hard for most people Kory Wiens, in Its tongue is carved cherry and July 2007 by a its teeth are maple. to relate to soldiers,” he said. “I just want to bring awareness to bomb in Iraq. It wears a medal awarded in Jim Mellick 2016 for conspicuous gallantry by the real wounds that our soldiers, the People’s Dispensary for Sick airmen, Marines and sailors suf- Animals, a British group. fer from.” “The dogs’ wounds are an alle- [email protected] T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ............ 16 Business .......................... 15 Classified ................... 19, 23 Comics/Crossword ............ 22 Faces ............................... 17 Opinion ....................... 20-21 Shifting Gears................... 18 Sports .........................24-32 Weather ........................... 15 Tuesday, October 8, 2019 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 WAR ON TERRORISM Syria: Trump warned US adversaries will welcome pullout decision FROM FRONT PAGE intervention in northern Syria, warning an attack against the Kurds would cre- GOP revolts ate risks for Turkey, Hoffman said in the statement. Trump’s decision to remove troops near against Trump Turkey’s border sparked outrage on Capi- tol Hill, including among Republicans who Syria decision have backed Trump on most issues, and in foreign policy circles, as some pundits BY STEVE PEOPLES warned such a decision would not only be Associated Press devastating to the Kurds but could spark a resurgence of ISIS. NEW YORK — They may have The United States has a force of about his back on impeachment, but some 1,000 troops in Syria. While those forces of President Donald Trump’s most near the Turkish border were expected loyal allies are suddenly revolting to withdraw, it was not immediately clear against his decision to pull back U.S. what the fate of the other U.S. troops in that troops from northern Syria. country would be, said a Pentagon official On Monday, one chief Trump loy- who spoke on the condition of anonymity. alist in Congress called the move The United States has worked hand-in- “unnerving to the core.” An influ- hand with the SDF since 2015 in its suc- ential figure in conservative media cessful efforts to push ISIS from eastern condemned it as “a disaster.” And Syria, providing the SDF weapons, air- Trump’s former top NATO envoy power and special operations advisers. The said it was “a big mistake” that would U.S.