MILITARY VIRUS OUTBREAK FACES Russia concerns Job cuts continue ‘Knives Out’ lead EURCOM to even as businesses sequels will raise threat level begin to reopen air on Netflix Page 3 Page 9 Page 13 Despite early upsets, Final Four a high-seeded affair ›› NCAA tourney, Page 24 stripes.com Volume 79 Edition 248 ©SS 2021 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY,APRIL 2, 2021 Free to Deployed Areas Lemons and ratholes Despite outpacing rivals’ spending for decades, US military struggling to maintain edge BY MISSY RYAN “We are sort of a victim of delayed by design and production issues. The Washington Post The Air Force’s two-decade effort to our own success.” field a 21st century tanker, one of several EVERETT, Wash. — As they conduct premier air systems whose development bombing and surveillance missions Ryan Haas has been beset with problems, is emble- around the globe, today’s U.S. military pi- Brookings Institute matic of the challenges Pentagon leaders lots rely on aerial refueling aircraft built as face in seeking to maintain the U.S. mili- early as 1957, when the Soviet Union dom- The cost of keeping those aging jets in tary’s shrinking edge over its chief com- inated American security fears, the aver- the air has grown sharply while the mili- petitor, China. age home cost $12,000 and “I Love Lucy” tary awaits a next-generation refueling MATTHEW M. BURKE/Stars and Stripes was debuting new episodes. plane whose rollout has been repeatedly SEE LEMONS ON PAGE 4 Marine Cpl. Malik Pugh shows off a pair of goggles that allow him to see from the Despite a decade of effort, development of the KC-46 tanker, seen below in 2019, has stumbled, prompting a leading general perspective of of a homemade drone at to describe the replacement for the 1950s-era KC-135 as a “lemon.” Camp Kinser, Okinawa, on Feb. 22. ALEXI MYRICK/U.S. Air Force Tech-savvy Marine excited to use skills to modernize Corps BY MATTHEW M. BURKE Stars and Stripes CAMP KINSER, Okinawa —The buzz among Malik Pugh’s fellow Marines finally caught the attention of his platoon com- mander in the 3rd Marine Logistics Group during a routine inspection back in August. Warrant Officer Joseph Kimmel said he harbored some trepidation about then- Lance Cpl. Pugh’s living quarters after hearing whispers about what he would find there. “When I make it to his room, all I see is tech and electronics everywhere,” Kim- mel said in a March 18 email to Stars and Stripes. Kimmel found an array of electronics, computer monitors, whirring servers, ne- on lights, 3D printers and a work bench full of gadgets and tools, including a partially built humanoid robot. The Marine Corps also took notice of Pugh, who was recently promoted merito- riously to corporal. Pugh sees numerous opportunities where his expertise can benefit the Marine Corps, from 3D-printed covers to protect gear from the elements to custom tools and even reconnaissance drones to assist SEE SKILLS ON PAGE 6 PAGE 2 • STARS AND STRIPES • Friday, April 2, 2021 BUSINESS/WEATHER J&J vaccine batch fails quality check EXCHANGE RATES Military rates South Korea (Won) 1129.94 Associated Press quality standards, J&J said. and was “aiming to deliver those Switzerland (Franc) .9446 Euro costs (April 2) $1.15 Thailand (Baht) 31.25 A batch of Johnson & Johnson’s J&J said the Emergent BioSolu- doses by the end of May.” Dollar buys (April 2) 0.8292 Turkey (NewLira) 8.1462 British pound (April 2) $1.34 COVID-19 vaccine failed quality tions factory involved had not yet President Joe Biden has Japanese yen (April 2) 108.00 (Military exchange rates are those available standards and can’t be used, the been approved by the U.S. Food pledged to have enough vaccines South Korean won (April 2) 1100.00 to customers at military banking facilities in the Commercial rates country of issuance for Japan, South Korea, Ger­ drug giant said Wednesday. and Drug Administration to make for all U.S. adults by the end of many, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Bahrain(Dinar) .3770 For nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., pur­ The drugmaker didn’t say how part of the vaccine. Emergent de- May. The U.S. government has or- Britain (Pound) 1.3816 chasing British pounds in Germany), check with Canada (Dollar) 1.2573 your local military banking facility. Commercial many doses were lost, and it clined to comment. dered enough two-dose shots from China(Yuan) 6.5689 rates are interbank rates provided for reference Denmark (Krone) 6.3290 wasn’t clear how the problem J&J had pledged to provide 20 Pfizer and Moderna to vaccinate Egypt (Pound) 15.7109 when buying currency. All figures are foreign would impact future deliveries. million doses of its vaccine to the 200 million people to be delivered Euro .8508 currencies to one dollar, except for the British Hong Kong (Dollar) 7.7770 pound, which is represented in dollars­to­ A vaccine ingredient made by U.S. government by the end of by late May, plus the 100 million Hungary (Forint) 307.74 pound, and the euro, which is dollars­to­euro.) Israel (Shekel) 3.3318 Emergent BioSolutions — one of March, and 80 million more doses shots from J&J. Japan (Yen) 110.72 INTEREST RATES about 10 companies that Johnson by the end of May. Its statement on A federal official said Wednes- Kuwait(Dinar) .3022 Norway (Krone) 8.5325 Prime rate 3.25 & Johnson is using to speed up the manufacturing problem said it day evening the administration’s Philippines (Peso) 48.61 Interest Rates Discount rate 0.75 Poland (Zloty) 3.92 Federal funds market rate 0.07 manufacturing of its recently ap- was still planning to deliver 100 goal can be met without additional Saudi Arabia (Riyal) 3.7506 3­month bill 0.03 proved vaccine — did not meet million doses by the end of June J&J doses. Singapore (Dollar) 1.3449 30­year bond 2.42 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 55/40 Kabul Seoul 63/37 61/54 Baghdad 82/58 Tokyo Drawsko Osan Kandahar Mildenhall/ 62/53 60/48 79/50 Pomorskie Busan Lakenheath 46/34 62/56 48/39 Iwakuni Kuwait City Bahrain 58/54 Brussels Zagan Sasebo Guam 85/68 80/73 Ramstein 48/38 65/61 49/38 59/35 82/79 Riyadh Lajes, 99/67 Doha Azores Stuttgart 98/69 60/57 53/44 Pápa Aviano/ 48/41 Vicenza 65/46 Naples 61/52 Okinawa Morón 72/69 69/53 Sigonella Rota 70/46 The weather is provided by the Djibouti 62/57 Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 89/69 61/50 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. TODAY IN STRIPES Comics .........................14 Crossword ................... 14 Faces .......................... 13 Opinion ........................ 16 Sports .................... 18-24 Friday, April 2, 2021 • STARS AND STRIPES • PAGE 3 MILITARY EUCOM raises threat level for Ukraine BY JOHN VANDIVER said it isn’t clear what Moscow has Stars and Stripes planned. STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. “Regarding force movements European Command has raised its around Ukraine. No strong evi- threat level over worries that Rus- dence that an attack is imminent, sia is massing forces around east- but force movements are indica- ern Ukraine, where the Pentagon tive that something is up outside of says tensions have escalated in re- regular exercises, or normal troop cent weeks. rotation,” Kofman said in a Twit- “We’re discussing our concerns ter post. “Russian intentions (are) about this increase in tensions and unclear.” cease-fire violations and regional Kirby did not offer an assess- tensions with NATO allies,” Pen- ment on the apparent military tagon spokesman John Kirby told buildup, but blamed Moscow for reporters Wednesday. recent violations of a July 2020 The situation in Ukraine cease-fire deal in Ukraine that re- prompted Joint Chiefs of Staff sulted in the deaths of four Ukrai- Chairman Gen. Mark Milley on nian soldiers last week. the same day to connect with his Russia also has stepped up ma- counterparts in both Russia and neuvers beyond Ukraine in recent Ukraine, in an attempt to de-esca- days. late a situation that has prompted On Monday, NATO fighter jets fears within Ukraine of a looming conducted 10 intercepts of Rus- Russian offensive. GREGORY GLOSSER/U.S. Army sian warplanes, stretching from Gen. Tod Wolters in the past Ukrainian troops prepare to conduct company­level battle drills at Combat Training Center­Yavoriv, the Arctic to southern Europe as week raised EUCOM’s watch lev- Ukraine, in November. the alliance countered what it el for Ukraine from possible crisis called “an unusual peak” of to potential imminent crisis — the “WATCHCON” levels express a threat and alert decision makers country’s east and government flights. Allied aircraft shadowed highest level, The New York “combatant commander’s con- to emerging concerns,” Kirby forces. On social media in recent Russian bombers and fighters Times reported Wednesday. EU- cern about a potential threat and said, without discussing EU- weeks, scores of videos have over the North Atlantic, North Sea, COM declined to comment on the the ability to provide future warn- COM’s current level. shown Russian convoys of tanks Black Sea and Baltic Sea, NATO threat level change, but said it is ings.” Since Moscow’s 2014 military and other combat vehicles appar- said. monitoring events in Ukraine “So by setting a WATCHCON, intervention in Ukraine, there ently heading toward Ukraine. carefully. basically the commander is better have been steady clashes between Michael Kofman, a security [email protected] Kirby said changes in so-called able to identify and track the Russian-backed separatists in the analyst with expertise on Russia, Twitter: @john_vandiver Marine based on Okinawa US military: 18 honored for rescuing woman cases in Japan, BY MATTHEW M.