COLLEGE FOOTBALL PACIFIC FACES FCS teams adjust Japan set to begin Legendary Stones to short turnaround work on new section of drummer Watts between seasons Marine Corps airfield dies at age 80 Page 24 Page 4 Page 18 Study links virus infection to suicidal thoughts in veterans ›› Page 3 stripes.com Volume 80 Edition 94 ©SS 2021 THURSDAY,AUGUST 26, 2021 50¢/Free to Deployed Areas Pentagon: US troops must get vaccines ASAP BY LOLITA C. BALDOR tious timelines for implementa- tion, the Defense Department is says the military services will “To defend this Nation, we need Associated Press tion.” adding it to the list of required have to report regularly on their a healthy and ready force,” Austin WASHINGTON — Military More than 800,000 service shots troops must get as part of progress. A senior defense official said in the memo. “After careful troops must immediately begin to members have yet to get their their military service. said that Austin has made it clear consultation with medical experts get the COVID-19 vaccine, De- shots, according to Pentagon data. The memo, which was obtained to the services that he expects and military leadership, and with fense Secretary Lloyd Austin said And now that the Pfizer vaccine by The Associated Press, does not them to move quickly, and that the support of the President, I in a memo Wednesday, ordering has received full approval from dictate a specific timeline for com- this will be completed in weeks service leaders to “impose ambi- the Food and Drug Administra- pleting the vaccinations. But it not months. SEE VACCINES ON PAGE 3 AFGHANISTAN As clock on airlifts ticks down, a risky race to finish BY MONIKA SCISLOWSKA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland — Poland ended its evacuations from Af- ghanistan, but other European na- tions vowed Wednesday to press on for as long as possible as the clock ticks down on a dramatic airlift of people fleeing Taliban rule ahead of a full American withdrawal. President Joe Biden said he is sticking to his Aug. 31 deadline for completing the U.S. pullout as the Taliban insisted he must, ramping up pressure on the already risky operation to fly people out of Ka- bul. European allies pressed for more time but lost the argument, and as a practical matter they may be forced to end their evacuations before the last American troops leave. Several countries haven’t said yet when they plan to end their operations, perhaps hoping to avoid yet another fatal crush at an airport, one of the last ways out of the country. The Taliban wrested back con- trol of Afghanistan nearly 20 years after they were ousted in a U.S.- led invasion following the 9/11 at- SAMUEL RUIZ, U.S. MARINE CORPS/AP A service member greets children during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday. SEE AIRLIFTS ON PAGE 5 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Thursday, August 26, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER US checking Boeing’s handling of safety workers EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1,168.22 Associated Press According to an FAA letter, one ran from May until July. An FAA Switzerland (Franc) .9139 Euro costs (Aug. 26) $1.15 Thailand (Baht) 32.82 A small group of Boeing engi- of the employees said, “I had to official described it in an Aug. 19 Dollar buys (Aug. 26) 0.8306 Turkey (New Lira) 8.3886 British pound (Aug. 26) $1.34 neers who perform key safety have a sit down with a manager letter to Boeing’s leader of safety Japanese yen (Aug. 26) 107.00 (Military exchange rates are those available tasks are raising concerns about and explain why I can’t approve and aircraft certification. South Korean won (Aug. 26) 1,137.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ their ability to work free of pres- something.” The worker indicated “We take these matters with the many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain (Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ sure from supervisors, and their that the company shopped around utmost seriousness, and are con- Britain (Pound) 1.3711 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2626 your local military banking facility. Commercial comments are prompting federal for another employee in the engi- tinuously working to improve the China (Yuan) 6.4781 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.3302 regulators to take a broader look neering unit. processes we have in place to en- Egypt (Pound) 15.7018 when buying currency. All figures are foreign into the company’s safety culture. Another employee reported sure the independence” of em- Euro .8513 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7848 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ The employees are deputized to consternation by managers when ployees who work on behalf of the Hungary (Forint) 296.43 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.2293 approve safety assessments and engineers find fault in designs of FAA, said Boeing spokeswoman Japan (Yen) 109.99 INTEREST RATES handle other jobs for the Federal components because that can Jessica Kowal. She said those em- Kuwait (Dinar) .3010 Norway (Krone) 8.8456 Prime rate 3.25 Aviation Administration, making cause delays in delivering air- ployees “must be accorded the Philippines (Peso) 49.77 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.89 Federal funds market rate 0.09 their independence from compa- planes. same respect and deference that is Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7505 3­month bill 0.05 ny pressure critical. The FAA’s initial investigation shown” to FAA personnel. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3539 30­year bond 1.91 WEATHER OUTLOOK THURSDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST THURSDAY IN EUROPE FRIDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 75/69 Kabul Seoul 91/62 78/72 Baghdad 112/79 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar 77/70 88/76 Mildenhall/ Pomorskie Busan 102/68 Lakenheath 59/55 64/57 81/75 Iwakuni 80/76 Kuwait City Bahrain Brussels Zagan Sasebo 111/89 99/93 Ramstein 59/56 82/78 Guam 64/57 63/43 84/81 Lajes, Riyadh Stuttgart 107/84 Doha Azores Pápa 71/68 60/52 108/86 Aviano/ 70/53 Vicenza 73/55 Naples 82/69 Morón Okinawa 83/80 95/68 Sigonella Rota 93/66 Souda Bay The weather is provided by the Djibouti 81/66 American Forces Network Weather Center, 99/85 83/75 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES American Roundup ...... 11 Classified .................... 13 Comics .........................16 Crossword ................... 16 Faces .......................... 18 Opinion ........................ 14 Sports ................... 20-24 Thursday, August 26, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY Fort Bragg Vet study plans town ties virus, halls for name input suicidal BY RACHAEL RILEY The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Town hall meetings to gain community thoughts input on the renaming of Fort Bragg will be announced in the BY KARIN ZEITVOGEL coming weeks. Stars and Stripes Col. Scott Pence, the installa- Veterans who have had CO- tion’s garrison commander, up- VID-19 were more than twice as dated the community on the proc- likely to contemplate suicide dur- ess during a meeting Wednesday ing the pandemic as those who that was broadcast on the installa- never had the illness, a study pub- tion’s Facebook page. /National Guard lished Wednesday found. SAMUEL KEENAN Pence said other installations Overall, however, veterans Army veteran Skip speaks to his family with an iPad last year at Holyoke Soldiers Home in Holyoke, Mass.,with airborne units often use the were less likely to have suicidal where he was in isolation due to COVID­19. Using technology to connect with others during isolation is phrase “back at Bragg,” which he thought to be one reason why suicidal thoughts among veterans fell during the pandemic, a study says. thoughts during the pandemic said is synonymous with readin- than they were before it, said the ess, dedication to the mission, a study, which was published in JA- say they had thought about sui- ing “virtual technologies (e.g., ing together’ phenomenon that sense of urgency and commitment MA Psychiatry. cide. FaceTime, Zoom) to solicit sup- has previously been observed in to excellence. The study was “one of the first Among the nearly 3,100 veter- port during the pandemic,” said natural disasters and periods of “This Fort Bragg name repre- … to find an independent link be- ans who took part in the study, the one of the study’s authors, Dr. war,” he said. “Societies (tend to) sents an emotional connection for tween COVID-19 infection and su- prevalence of suicidal thoughts Robert Pietrzak, director of the pull together during times of na- people, so we take that very seri- icidal ideation,” said lead author fell from 10.6% prior to the pan- main lab involved with the re- tional crisis, which may have Brandon Nichter, a Defense De- demic to 7.8% 10 months into it, search at the U.S. Department of helped to promote social connec- ously,” Pence said. partment clinical psychologist. bucking predictions that corona- Veterans Affairs’ National Center tedness and mitigate risk of sui- In January, Congress passed Suicidal thoughts after CO- virus lockdowns and limits on for PTSD. cide ideation during the pandem- the National Defense Authoriza- VID-19 infection could be driven travel and gatherings could leave But even among veterans over ic.” tion Act, which includes a provi- by physical issues, such as inflam- veterans feeling lonelier and in- 65, who “were already at high risk The veterans surveyed may sion mandating military installa- mation of the brain or changes to crease suicidal behaviors among for loneliness,” suicide ideation have under-reported suicidal be- tions named after Confederates to the body’s immune response, them, the study said.