COLLEGE FOOTBALL MILITARY FACES Big 12 teams are Report: Navy pushing Drew Barrymore smarting after 3 for more unmanned tackles talk show losses to Sun Belt ships to diversify fleet amid pandemic Back page Page 4 Page 14 Spangdahlem’s F-16s are not leaving Germany for Italy just yet » Page 3 stripes.com Volume 79, No. 108 ©SS 2020 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas ‘They flew into blazing flames’ Distinguished Flying Crosses awarded to Calif. guardsmen for rescue efforts BY CHAD GARLAND wind — and it was raging — and blinding For the Army air crews’ efforts on Sept. President Donald Stars and Stripes smoke to rescue families who were trapped 5, Trump honored seven soldiers with Dis- Trump participates in a by the massive Creek Fire,” President Don- tinguished Flying Crosses during the event ceremony recognizing he air crews were told to turn back, ald Trump said during an awards ceremony at a hangar in McClellan Park, Calif., near the California National but they flew into the fire anyway. Monday. Sacramento. It is one of the military’s high- Guard at Sacramento McClellan Airport, in They were told not to return, but Despite the calls to abort the mission, est decorations, ranking above the Soldier’s McClellan Park, Calif., Twent twice more to rescue about 240 they “decided to continue anyway, knowing Medal. on Monday after being people trapped by wildfire at a campground The award recognizing acts of heroism they might not return,” Trump said. “They briefed on wildfires. in California’s Sierra National Forest. knew that people were in danger — great and extraordinary achievement in aerial “They flew into blazing flames, raging danger.” SEE AWARD ON PAGE 6 ANDREW HARNIK/AP Schools plan to welcome students at Yokosuka base back to class before month’s end BY JOSEPH DITZLER Yokosuka Naval Base on Tuesday also must test free of the virus before leaving cal appointments and grocery shopping, Stars and Stripes reported two new coronavirus patients, isolation. from March 27 until June 11. both recent arrivals to Japan who tested The population of the base, about 40 miles The base commander, Capt. Rich Jar- TOKYO — The Navy’s largest overseas positive while in quarantine. The base has southwest of central Tokyo, endured one of rett, ordered heightened restrictions again base, which reduced its coronavirus risk four active cases, down from a high of 44 the longest periods of coronavirus restric- Aug. 10 after six people tested positive. level Monday, is sending its children back on Aug. 21. tions of any U.S. installation in Japan. Its Monday, he reduced the level of risk of to base schools on Sept. 28, according to a U.S. Forces Japan requires new arrivals personnel were restricted to their homes the virus spreading from “substantial” to message Tuesday from the district school and travelers returning to Japan to spend under a “shelter-in-place” order, except for superintendent. 14 days in restricted movement. They work and essential services such as medi- SEE STUDENTS ON PAGE 8 PAGE 2 F3HIJKLM •STARS AND STRIPES• Wednesday, September 16, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Lawsuit challenges United on sports charters staffing Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9068 Euro costs (Sept. 16) ............................$1.16 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 31.22 Dollar buys (Sept. 16).......................€0.8201 Turkey (Lira) .........................................7.4871 BY SHANNON MCMAHON years, respectively. list for the charters. Guillory and British pound (Sept. 16) ......................$1.26 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (Sept. 16) ....................103.00 available to customers at military banking “United has created a despi- Tesler, who are Black and Jewish, South Korean won (Sept. 16) ........1,151.00 The Washington Post Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the cable situation,” the women said respectively, said they discovered Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3770 Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For Two veteran flight attendants British pound .....................................$1.2887 in the complaint, by unlawfully that the women on the list were nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.3165 are suing United Airlines for enacting “procedures that are all young, white and have less purchasing British pounds in Germany), China (Yuan) ........................................6.7787 check with your local military banking discrimination, saying that the designed to ensure that young, seniority than them. The women Denmark (Krone) ................................6.2712 facility. Commercial rates are interbank Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7585 airline favors young, blond, blue- white, blond/blue-eyed, female are seeking monetary damages rates provided for reference when buying Euro ........................................$1.1863/0.8430 currency. All figures are foreign currencies eyed crew members when as- employees receive positions with from United. Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7503 signing for flights that serve the the charter program.” The airline, however, says its Hungary (Forint) .................................301.43 to one dollar, except for the British pound, Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.4268 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, NFL, NCAA and MLB, accord- The lawsuit says more senior, chartered flights, which shuttle Japan (Yen) ...........................................105.37 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) ing to a complaint filed in the Black and Jewish employees like sports teams traveling around Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3056 INTEREST RATES Superior Court of California. The Norway (Krone) ...................................9.0204 the plaintiffs are not assigned to the United States, have race and Philippines (Peso).................................48.37 Prime rate ................................................3.25 flight attendants, Kim Guillory the flights, and that the plaintiffs age averages in line with those of Poland (Zloty) ..........................................3.75 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7509 Federal funds market rate ...................0.09 and Sharon Tesler, have worked were told by supervisors that they the crew on its standard commer- Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.3605 3-month bill ............................................. 0.10 for United Airlines for 28 and 34 were not on the “preferred” crew cial flights. South Korea (Won) ..........................1,179.25 30-year bond ........................................... 1.41 WEATHER OUTLOOK WEDNESDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST WEDNESDAY IN EUROPE THURSDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 75/66 Kabul 32/13 Seoul 74/62 Baghdad 107/79 Kandahar 93/57 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 74/62 80/69 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 70/57 74/61 75/63 Iwakuni 77/74 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 93/90 Brussels 76/59 Guam 105/81 77/63 Ramstein 77/74 85/82 Lajes, 81/61 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 104/77 101/87 69/65 76/60 80/64 Aviano/ Vicenza 79/62 Naples 84/72 Okinawa Morón 83/80 84/69 Sigonella Rota 81/68 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 101/86 77/67 76/73 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 11 Classified .................. 13 Comics ...................... 15 Crossword ................. 15 Faces ........................ 14 Opinion .................16-17 Sports .................. 18-24 Wednesday, September 16, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• F3HIJKLM PAGE 3 MILITARY General: F-16s not leaving Germany for Italy just yet BY JENNIFER H. SVAN quently called out for not meet- regarding the move,” Spangda- Stars and Stripes ing its NATO defense spending hlem Mayor Alois Gerten said. obligations. As the Air Force in Europe KAISERSLAUTERN, Germa- The Pentagon has said the re- reviews plans to move Spangda- ny — No date has been set for the alignment will move more F-16s hlem’s F-16s, it’s also preparing last remaining U.S. fighter squad- closer to the strategic Black Sea for the arrival of the first F-35s /Stars and Stripes MATTHEW KEELER ron in Germany to move to Italy, region along NATO’s southeast- in the fall of 2021 at RAF Lak- Capt. Sean Sherlock wears his new U.S. Space Force tape during his the leader of U.S. Air Forces in ern flank. enheath in the United Kingdom, commissioning ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on Monday . Europe – Air Forces Africa Gen. The July announcement trig- Harrigian said. Jeffrey Harrigian said. gered alarm among Spangdahlem Trump’s plan to shrink the U.S. Six weeks after Defense Secre- families, who expressed concern mission in Germany also means Space Force welcomes tary Mark Esper announced that about how quickly they might that KC-135 tankers from the nearly 12,000 troops would leave have to move from their homes in 100th Air Refueling Wing and Germany — including the 480th the rural Eifel region of western CV-22 Ospreys operated by the handful of Air Force Fighter Squadron and the 52nd Germany. 352nd Special Operations Wing Civil Engineering Squadron, But there was still “a fair at RAF Mildenhall will not be which would go from Spangda- amount of work in front of us to transferring to Germany,