NBA VETERANS MILITARY Bubble watch: IG report: Doctor Trump says he hasn’t League set to hit and hospital failed in discussed alleged restart button helping suicidal vet bounties with Putin Back page Page 6 Page 5 DODEA parents to choose between virtual or in-person school » Page 9 stripes.com Volume 79, No. 74 ©SS 2020 THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Iran launches underground ballistic missiles during exercise BY AMIR VAHDAT AND JON GAMBRELL Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s para- military Revolutionary Guard launched underground ballistic missiles as part of an exercise involving a mock-up aircraft car- rier in the Strait of Hormuz, state television reported Wednesday. It was the latest barrage in a drill that the previous day saw two American bases temporarily go on alert over the launches. Drone footage captured by the Guard showed two missiles blast- ing out from covered positions in what appeared to be a desert pla- teau in central Iran, with debris flying up in the air in their wake. The launches took place on Wednesday, said Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guard’s aerospace division. He told state television it was the first time the Guard had done this, though the paramilitary force is known to have vast underground bases hid- ing its ballistic missile arsenal. SEE IRAN ON PAGE 7 Pentagon plans to remove about 12,000 troops from Germany BY COREY DICKSTEIN retary Mark Esper announced monthslong review of American 2nd Armored Brigade Stars and Stripes Wednesday. force strength in Europe, where Combat Team, 1st Cavalry The plan would fulfill Presi- some troops are permanently Division Commander WASHINGTON — The Pen- dent Donald Trump’s demands stationed and others deploy on Col. Jeremy S. Wilson tagon will remove nearly 12,000 to remove thousands of troops rotational tours to train along- takes part in a change of troops from Germany, sending from Germany, which he has side NATO allies in an effort to command ceremony at SEPAHNEWS/AP thousands of service members long derided as delinquent on deter Russian aggression on the Grafenwoehr, Germany, home to the United States and its defense spending obliga- continent. on May 28 . The Iranian Revolutionary “It is important to note that in shifting others to different loca- tions within NATO. The an- GREG STEVENS/ Louisiana Army Guard launches an underground tions in Europe, Defense Sec- nouncement also comes after a SEE GERMANY ON PAGE 4 National Guard ballistic missile during a military exercise Wednesday. PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Thursday, July 30, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES US consumer confidence drops as virus spreads Military rates Switzerland (Franc) ............................... 0.9160 Euro costs (July 30) .............................. $1.15 Thailand (Baht) ......................................... 31.43 Dollar buys (July 30) .........................€0.8295 Turkey (New Lira) .................................. 6.9720 British pound (July 30)......................... $1.26 (Military exchange rates are those Associated Press labor market conditions. outlook for the economy and Japanese yen (July 30) ......................108.00 available to customers at military banking The consumer confidence index labor market and remain sub- South Korean won (July 30) ......... 1,226.00 facilities in the country of issuance WASHINGTON — U.S. con- Commercial rates for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the sumer confidence tumbled in is closely watched for signals it dued about their financial pros- Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................... 0.3770 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For can send about future consumer pects,” said Lynn Franco, senior British pound ........................................ $1.2987 nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., July to a reading of 92.6 as coro- Canada (Dollar) ...................................... 1.3349 purchasing British pounds in Germany), navirus infections spread in many spending, which accounts for 70% director of economic indicators at China (Yuan) ............................................ 7.0020 check with your local military banking of economic activity. the Conference Board. Denmark (Krone) ................................... 6.3305 facility. Commercial rates are interbank parts of the country. Egypt (Pound)....................................... 15.9707 rates provided for reference when buying The Conference Board, a New The Conference Board said that “Such uncertainty about the Euro ............................................. $1.1757/0.8506 currency. All figures are foreign currencies York research organization, re- the large decline in the expecta- short-term future does not bode Hong Kong (Dollar) ................................ 7.7502 to one dollar, except for the British pound, Hungary (Forint) .................................... 294.59 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, ported Tuesday that its Consumer tions index reflected big drops in well for the recovery, nor for con- Israel (Shekel) ........................................ 3.4083 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Confidence Index fell from a June sentiment in Michigan, Florida, sumer spending,” he said. Japan (Yen)............................................... 105.01 Texas and California, all states The overall index stood at a Kuwait (Dinar) ........................................ 0.3059 INTEREST RATES reading of 98.3. The weakness Norway (Krone) ...................................... 9.0626 came from a drop in the expecta- that have seen a resurgence in high for this year of 132.6 in Feb- Philippines (Peso) .................................... 49.05 Prime rate ................................................3.25 tions index, which measures con- coronavirus cases. ruary before the pandemic forced Poland (Zloty) .............................................. 3.76 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) .............................. 3.7504 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 sumer views about the short-term “Consumers have grown less shutdowns across the country in Singapore (Dollar).................................. 1.3761 3-month bill ............................................. 0.11 outlook for income, business and optimistic about the short-term March and April. South Korea (Won) ............................ 1,193.51 30-year bond ...........................................1.22 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 70/66 Kabul 97/68 Seoul 79/72 Baghdad 118/93 Kandahar 107/82 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 78/74 78/74 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 68/54 64/55 81/73 Iwakuni 82/77 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 97/93 Brussels 70/52 Guam 117/95 79/54 Ramstein 82/76 84/81 Lajes, 77/55 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 114/89 112/93 72/69 80/56 84/67 Aviano/ Vicenza 86/70 Naples 91/74 Okinawa Morón 84/81 104/69 Sigonella Rota 97/68 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 97/84 88/68 82/74 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 11 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 16 Crossword ................. 16 Faces ........................ 14 Opinion ..................... 15 Sports .................. 18-24 Thursday, July 30, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 PACIFIC US and Australia discuss countering China BY CAITLIN M. KENNEY ed $3.4 trillion in trade passed Stars and Stripes through the South China Sea in 2016, according to the Center for WASHINGTON — U.S. and Strategic and International Stud- Australian defense and foreign ies, a think tank in Washington, policy leaders said Tuesday that D.C. their close alliance is committed More so, tensions between the to countering Chinese actions in United States and China have in- the Indo-Pacific region where creased in recent weeks. The U.S. trade and freedom of naviga- requested a Chinese consulate in tion are key to each country’s Houston be closed last week after security. the U.S. accused China of using “Today, we discussed a range the facility for espionage efforts, of issues regarding the future of CNN reported. China then re- the region, including the impact taliated by requesting the clo- of the global pandemic, as well as sure of an American consulate in the security situation in the South Chengdu. China Sea specifically, and the Throughout July, there have Indo-Pacific, more generally,” been naval exercises and move- Defense Secretary Mark Esper ments throughout the Indo-Pa- said during a news briefing fol- cific region, including aircraft lowing the 2020 Australia-U.S. carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ministerial Consultations held at Ronald Reagan and their strike the State Department. groups in the South China Sea The annual ministerial meet- conducing drills during the ing included Esper, Secretary Fourth of July weekend. of State Mike Pompeo and their “Together we share a com- Australian counterparts Defense mon vision for a free and open Minister Linda Reynolds and Indo-Pacific where all nations, Foreign Minister Marise Payne. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI /AP big and small, can enjoy the ben- “Our two great democracies efits of sovereignty. Where free, Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne, left, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, listen as face immediate crises like the fair, and reciprocal trade are the Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks at a news conference on Tuesday in Washington.