MILITARY FACES NBA PLAYOFFS Stars and Stripes Tyler Perry brings 2018 draft class interpreter in Iraq Madea back out having a moment becomes a soldier of retirement in this postseason Page 3 Page 13 Page 24 Marine general fired over 2020 AAV sinking in which 9 died ›› Page 4 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 40 ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY,JUNE 11, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas AFGHANISTAN Advocates want Afghans who worked for US moved to Guam BY J.P. LAWRENCE Stars and Stripes KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. should evacuate thousands of interpreters and others who aided the U.S. military and government to the Pacific territory of Guam while they await decisions on their immigration visas, advocates and lawmakers said. Worsening security in Afghan- istan as U.S. troops withdraw has led to fears that those who worked with foreign forces may be left vulnerable to Taliban retribution. “We must evacuate our Afghan friends and allies immediately,” said a letter sent to President Joe Biden last week by the bipartisan Honoring Our Promises Working Group, which includes 21 House lawmakers led by veteran Reps. Seth Moulton and Jason Crow. “We also recommend that the PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP President’s Interagency Task President Joe Biden speaks to American service members at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, on Wednesday. Force specifically consider the op- tion of using Guam as a temporary evacuation site before moving our friends and allies to more perma- nent locations within the conti- nental United States,” the letter Biden steps onto world stage said. More than 18,000 applicants have applied for the Special Immi- On 1st overseas trip, president seeks to reaffirm commitment to US role abroad grant Visa, which allows those fac- ing threats after aiding the U.S. to Associated Press RELATED On Thursday, Biden and Prime Minister Bo- immigrate with their families. CARBIS BAY, England — President Joe Bi- ris Johnson met for more than an hour and- The vetting process for each den stepped onto the global stage Thursday, Biden praises US troops, signed a document “building on the commit- SIV applicant could take far long- meeting with Britain’s prime minister and out- ments and aspirations set out 80 years go” by SEE AFGHANS ON PAGE 6 lining plans for the U.S. to donate 500 million families during speech predecessors Franklin D. Roosevelt and Win- vaccine doses around the globe. Wednesday at Mildenhall ston Churchill in the Atlantic Charter. RELATED Biden had arrived in Britain on Wednesday, That document led to the United Nations and landing at RAF Mildenhall and greeting U.S. Page 9 NATO. The new one looks to the challenge Afghanistan’s special service members based there. It was just the meet with Group of Seven leaders before con- posed by countries like China and Russia with first stop on his first overseas trip. tinuing to Brussels for a NATO summit, a its promises to promote free trade, human operations troops The president seeks to reaffirm to allies his meeting with heads of the European Union and rights and a rules-based international order, could train in Europe commitment to the U.S. role abroad, which face-to-face meetings with other world lead- and to counter “those who seek to undermine stands in contrast to former President Donald ers, including Russian President Vladimir Pu- Page 6 Trump’s “America First” approach. Biden will tin in Geneva. SEE BIDEN ON PAGE 9 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, June 11, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER GameStop names Amazon vet as CEO; sales rise EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1115.45 Associated Press said that Mike Recupero, who staff is conducting an investiga- Switzerland (Franc) .8949 Euro costs (June 11) $1.19 Thailand (Baht) 31.15 NEW YORK — GameStop, the most recently was CFO of Ama- tion into the trading activity in its Dollar buys (June 11) 0.8009 Turkey (NewLira) 8.4783 British pound (June 11) $1.38 video-game retailer whose manic zon’s North American consumer stock and shares of other compa- Japanese yen (June 11) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available stock movements captivated Wall business, will begin as chief finan- nies. GameStop said it doesn’t ex- South Korean won (June 11) 1087.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ Street this year, said Wednesday cial officer on July 12. pect the inquiry to hurt it. many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3769 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ that it’s brought on a pair of Ama- GameStop’s stock has been on a GameStop said it’s still losing Britain (Pound) 1.4154 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2093 your local military banking facility. Commercial zon veterans as its new chief exec- wild rocket ride, soaring more money, posting a net loss of $66.8 China(Yuan) 6.3910 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.1044 utive and chief financial officer to than 1,500% this year as waves of million for the three months Egypt (Pound) 15.6692 when buying currency. All figures are foreign aid in its much anticipated digital smaller-pocketed investors piled through May 1. But that’s not as Euro .8209 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7602 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ turnaround. in on hopes that it can transform bad as the $165.7 million loss from Hungary (Forint) 283.49 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2423 Matt Furlong, who most recent- itself into an e-commerce power- a year earlier, and its sales of $1.28 Japan (Yen) 109.64 INTEREST RATES ly oversaw Amazon’s Australia house after sales at its brick-and- billion was stronger than the $1.16 Kuwait(Dinar) .3007 Norway (Krone) 8.2765 Prime rate 3.25 business and spent nine years mortar stores faltered. GameStop billion that analysts expected. Philippines (Peso) 47.73 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.67 Federal funds market rate 0.06 with the company, will start as said Wednesday that the Securi- Sales grew 25% even as the com- Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7506 3­month bill 0.03 CEO on June 21. GameStop also ties and Exchange Commission’s pany closed some of its stores. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3242 30­year bond 2.17 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 67/62 Kabul Seoul 93/60 76/63 Baghdad 98/74 Osan Tokyo Drawsko Kandahar Mildenhall/ 81/69 73/60 110/65 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 71/57 70/67 72/60 Iwakuni Kuwait City 70/65 Bahrain Zagan Sasebo Guam 106/85 93/90 Brussels Ramstein 73/60 75/71 74/55 77/53 83/80 Riyadh Lajes, 105/80 Doha Azores Stuttgart 102/84 66/60 75/56 Pápa Aviano/ 75/55 Vicenza 75/60 Naples 77/65 Okinawa Morón 80/75 95/64 Sigonella Rota 80/64 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 77/64 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 96/85 72/66 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 10 Comics .........................14 Crossword ................... 14 Faces .......................... 13 Opinion ........................ 16 Sports .................... 18-24 Friday, June 11, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Iraqi interpreter inspired to join Army BY SETH ROBSON said of her motivation to work with Stars and Stripes journalists. “I wanted to go to the Standing 4 feet, 11 inches and battlefield and see for myself and weighing 110 pounds, Army Spc. do something and get the job done Zainab Olivo had her work cut out and help.” marching with 60 pounds of gear Olivo’s duties with the newspa- during basic training at Fort Leo- per took her to combat outposts, nard Wood, Mo. where she saw U.S. troops at work, The physical challenge of boot and to the war-ravaged suburbs of camp, which Olivo, 32, completed Mosul filled with enemy snipers, in March, was just the latest hur- improvised explosive devices and dle for someone who had seen her armed drones. share of war before putting on a Stars and Stripes reporter Chad uniform. Garland, who worked with Olivo As a child growing up southwest in Iraq, praised her bravery. of Baghdad in the Iraqi city of Kar- “Zainab had a way of getting us bala, she dreamed of becoming a closer to the front lines than the police officer or a soldier. Years Iraqis initially seemed to want to later, during the war against the let us go,” he said in a June 4 email. Islamic State, she got a taste of On a ride into Mosul with the that life while working on the front Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service lines as an interpreter and trans- in 2016, the pair found themselves lator for Stars and Stripes. next to a Humvee with a gunner Olivo was a 14-year-old school- firing a .50 caliber machine gun, girl when a U.S.-led coalition in- presumably at the enemy, Gar- vaded the country and deposed land recalled. BRIAN HILL/U.S. Army dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. “I don’t think the Iraqis realized Army Spc. Zainab Olivo takes part in engineer training earlier this year with Company D, 554th Engineer She recalled the chaos of that time they’d brought us that close to the Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.