Volume 6, No. 36 ©SS 2014
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014
military way the
20 years, 4 branches: Servicemember is part of a very exclusive club Page 2
Jesus Yanez Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
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August 22, 2014
STARS AND STRIPES • S
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TA R S
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Friday, August 22, 2014
COVER STORY
TWO DECADES, FOUR BRANCHES,
ONE SERVICEMEMBER Well-rounded military man sees the best in each service
BY M ATTHEW M. BURKE Stars and Stripes
When Jesus Yanez joined the Marine Corps in 1993, military service became a way of life. Over the years, the El Paso, Texas, native went from one job to the next, one command to another. He requested downrange deployments and continued his years of service. More than 20 years later, the 39-year-old has a rather unusual military resume. Deployed to Afghanistan from the Texas Air National Guard’s 204th Security Forces Squadron, Yanez has served in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The Defense Department doesn’t closely track how many troops have served in all four main branches, but it’s a pretty exclusive club. In the past 10 years, more than 2 million U.S. troops have deployed overseas. Of those, only 40,385 have served in more than one branch, according to Defense Department records. “I didn’t do it intentionally,” Yanez said, laughing when reached by phone last month from Bagram Air Field, where he has been deployed since June. “It just happened.” Yanez — now serving with the 455th Expeditionary Base Defense Squadron — said he hadn’t really thought about it until a friend pointed it out to him. Yanez, the middle child of five raised by a single mother, grew up fast and was a worker, delivering newspapers, selling greeting cards and working at a local pizzeria. When he was a junior in high school he sought out the local Marine recruiter and signed up through the delayed entry program. “I went looking for [the recruiter] before he could
EVELYN C HAVEZ /Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
Staff Sgt. Jesus Yanez, left, of the 455th Expeditionary Base Defense Squadron walks a perimeter patrol at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, on July 2. Yanez joined the Air Force to get the opportunity to serve in a combat zone. come looking for me,” Yanez said. “Everyone thought I was crazy, joining the Marines as a junior in high school.” Yanez was “in the rear with the gear” in logistics and as a warehouseman. He loved being a Marine. But then he got married, and after a few years, he decided to get out, separating in 1997. Soon after, he was divorced and said he got the itch to serve again. “I guess that’s what I missed a lot, the military way,” he said. In 1999, he joined the Navy Reserve as a master at arms. But the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks prompted him to switch gears. He sought and received a conditional letter of release from the Navy so he could join the Army Reserve. “I really wanted to deploy,” he said. “I wanted to do my part.” In the Army Reserves,
Yanez served as a heavy wheel mechanic at Fort Bliss, Texas. But he didn’t get to deploy, which led him to ask for another conditional release — this time to join the Air Force’s 204th Security Forces Squadron, which Yanez described as an Air Force “light infantry unit.” The full-time job, which he took in 2006, keeps him in El Paso, where he is raising his two children. “As a single father, this was a better option, because it avoided moving my kids to an-
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other place,” he said previously in an Air Force statement. It also allowed him to finally get downrange, first to Iraq in 2010, where he guarded Baghdad International Airport with a .50-caliber machine gun, and now to Afghanistan, where he checks vehicles and locals for contraband and vehicle-borne explosives. His experience has made him an asset to his unit and garnered the attention of his superiors. “He brings a ton of experience to the fight,” 455th
’
Staff Sgt. Jesus Yanez former Marine, Army reservist, Navy reservist and now airman
Expeditionary Base Defense Squadron chief enlisted manager, Chief Master Sgt. Eric Soluri, said in the Air Force statement. “Younger airmen and NCOs look up to him, and he is the ‘go-to guy’ in his sector.” From the Marine Corps to the Navy, the Army to the Air Force, Yanez has noted more similarities in the branches than differences — in the camaraderie, teamwork and in the responsibility to take care of one another. Yet each branch has taught him lessons that he tries to instill in junior airmen. For one, he said, he got his discipline from the Marine Corps: “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” For every bead of sweat shed in service of the country he loves, Yanez said he has been paid back in full. He is the only member of his family with a college degree. He received his master’s degree while serving. He has also earned the admiration of his children. “My son and daughter think of me as their hero,” he said. “They’re always bragging about me.” Yanez has 11 years in the active-duty military and 10 as a reservist. He plans to retire when he hits 30 years of service. He has no second thoughts about dedicating his life to the military. “Not a day goes by where I regret what I do,” he said. “If you want to do something for your country, you do it right.” At 39, Yanez said he has no plans of joining the Coast Guard, even though he has looked into it. “I’d have to go to their boot camp,” he said, with a laugh. “I’ve looked into it. ... I think I’ll just stay with the Air Force and retire.” burke.matt@stripes.com.
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August 22, 2014
3
STARS AND STRIPES • STARS
Friday, August 22, 2014
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PAGE 3
AFGHANISTAN
JOSH SMITH /Stars and Stripes
Men wait to meet with the governor of Herat province in western Afghanistan. Provincial leaders and local residents say they favor keeping international military forces in their country past 2014.
‘We need those soldiers’
In Iran’s shadow, Afghanistan’s Herat province favors US presence BY JOSH SMITH Stars and Stripes
HERAT, Afghanistan — Mohammed gave a snort of derision. “What kind of question is that? Everyone wants them to stay,” he said of the international troops who have been deployed to Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban regime. The 49-year-old shopkeeper, who, like many Afghans, goes by one name,
said only warlords and others who would profit from a disintegrating Afghanistan want foreign troops to depart entirely. “The people who care about this country, first they appreciate God, and second, they appreciate foreign troops,” he said. “They protect us.” It’s unclear how many Afghans share Mohammed’s sentiment. Many of those who do seem most concerned that, without foreign forces, Afghanistan’s internal security will worsen and
encourage interference by neighboring countries. Many in Afghanistan fear the Taliban insurgency will gain strength and further destabilize the country once foreign troops leave. But residents of Herat have a unique vantage point because of their proximity to Iran, which has been accused of giving support to both the Taliban and the national government in pursuit of its own interests.
“
The people who care about this country, first they appreciate God, and second, they appreciate foreign troops. — Mohammed Afghan shopkeeper
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August 22, 2014
STARS AND STRIPES • S
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Friday, August 22, 2014
AFGHANISTAN FROM PAGE 3
Many in Afghanistan fear the Taliban insurgency will gain strength and further destabilize the country once foreign troops leave. But residents of Herat have a unique vantage point because of their proximity to Iran, which has been accused of giving support to both the Taliban and the national government in pursuit of its own interests. Tehran is a vocal opponent of any long-term presence of international troops in Afghanistan, accusing the NATO-led coalition of only exacerbating the conflict — the Taliban say they are fighting to remove foreign troops they describe as occupiers. But residents approached recently in Herat fear the contrary — that the Taliban will gain strength without international troops to back Afghan security forces. Mohammed, standing in his convenience store, the shade only marginally cooler than the blistering summer heat outside, underscored that concern. Gesturing toward people passing by on the street, he said: “That man there? [The Taliban] will make him grow a beard again. As soon as foreign troops are gone, this country will be done.” As the United States and the rest JOSH SMITH /Stars and Stripes of the coalition prepare to withdraw the majority of their combat troops Men leave the Jama Masjid, a mosque in downtown Herat, in July after Ramadan prayers. Residents of this city by the end of the year, opinions in western Afghanistan say they favor keeping international troops in their country as a bulwark against both among Afghans regarding foreign internal insurgents and neighboring countries. troops remain complicated, often based on a personal calculation to Afghanistan,” he said. “The people spared the major fighting seen in the Both leading presidential candidetermine the lesser of many evils. dates have said they would sign the eastern and southern areas of the of Herat witness everything from For the Afghans who support a deal, but a dispute over the election country, although the Taliban have very close: How Iran forcefully prolonged international military results has indefinitely delayed the staged attacks on high-profile targets deports Afghan refugees, kills them mission, their views seem to be inauguration of a new president. in the city, including the American on the border , or they hang them based on a combination of fear that Authorities in Iran have been consulate. without letting their families know.” internal security could deteriorate among the few international leaders Estimated to be Afghanistan’s Although one would expect strong and concerns about interference by to publicly oppose even the limited third-largest city, Herat is situated Iranian influence in Herat due to its neighboring countries. In Herat, on American troop presence that has less than a two-hour drive — about proximity to the border, in realAfghanistan’s western border, that been proposed for after the end of 60 miles — from the border with ity there is not, Fakor said. “The means Iran. 2014 — about 10,000 next year and Iran. people of Herat do not follow Iran’s “[International troops] should not drawing down to an embassy-based In the cities and towns of Afghanagendas.” leave while we are in this situation, role in 2016. istan’s western deserts, neighborDespite, or in some cases because when we have foreign enemies,” “Politically, Iran seeks to maining Iran has played a “soft-power” of, living in Iran’s shadow, few said farmer Abdul tain positive relations within the game, pumping more Afghans in the region approached Razaq, 55. “All Afhighest levels of [the Afghan govthan half a billion dolrecently agree with Tehran’s opghans understand it is ernment] while attempting to steer position to the Bilateral Security lars into aid projects. better to keep the U.S. Afghanistan away from an endurAgreement that would lay out terms But Tehran’s overhere. The majority, 98 ing BSA with the United States,” American and international forces tures and lobbying on percent of my friends, the Defense Department said in its insist on if they are to stay for at security issues have agree that the U.S. latest yearly report on Afghanistan, least several more years. should stay here for a been largely overshadreleased in November. “In addilong time.” “If international troops stay here, owed by what some see In many ways, Herat’s our neighbors won’t bother Afghani- tion to maintaining a diplomatic as heavy-handed treatAs soon as presence in Afghanistan, Tehran long history as a center stan,” said Mohammed Sabel, 24, ment by Iran, said Moforeign troops often uses high-level visits and key of trade has made it a student in Herat. “We need those hammed Younas Fakor, are gone, this leadership engagements to criticize more accustomed to soldiers to partner with the Afghan a political analyst based country will the presence of international forces foreigners than some forces here.” in Kabul. in Afghanistan and to call for the be done. of the more remote Current Afghan President Hamid “The distrust is withdrawal of ISAF publicly.” — Mohammed areas in Afghanistan. Karzai has refused to sign the BSA, mainly because of Afghan shopkeeper The area also has been Iran’s behavior toward saying it will be up to his successor. SEE PAGE 6
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August 22, 2014
STARS AND STRIPES • S
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TA R S
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Friday, August 22, 2014
AFGHANISTAN
Death of Afghan Sikh shows the desperation of minorities BY STEVEN BEARDSLEY ZUBAIR BABAKARKHAIL
AND
Stars and Stripes
KABUL, Afghanistan — The father of two young children and a struggling business owner deep in debt, Jasbeer Singh opted to leave Afghanistan and seek better fortunes for his family in the West, a path taken by many fellow Afghan Sikhs in recent years. The journey ultimately cost Singh his life. His body was discovered Saturday inside a metal shipping container at the English port of Tilbury with 34 other Afghan Sikhs who were to be smuggled into the country. Port agents discovered the group after hearing shouts from within the container. Singh’s was the only death. The episode is a window into the desperation of an Afghan minority to leave the country during the current political uncertainty. With few economic opportunities and continuing religious discrimination, Sikhs fear any future turmoil will only be to their disadvantage. It also shows that the sacrifice of international troops in America’s longest war has not been enough to build confidence among Afghanistan’s vulnerable minorities about the
future of their country once most of the foreign soldiers leave by the end of this year. “We’re leaving because of the problems in the country,” said Bilandar Singh, 30, who owns a spice shop in downtown Kabul. “Normal Afghans suffer here, and we’re the Some minority.” people are Sikhs and worried about their Hindus, another Afghan future, minority which is with Indian why they origins, numbered flee the in the country. tens of Iqbal Singh thousands Sikh religious across leader in Kabul Afghanistan in the decades before the Russian invasion in 1979. Now believed to number closer to 3,000, the community has been leaving en mass in recent years. Its representatives have asked the United Nations and the United States for help in settling the remaining members, with little luck. Community members say their past acceptance in Afghanistan has disappeared
‘
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during decades of war and deprivation. They speak of increased harassment and persecution. Kabul residents protested the cremation of their dead on the city’s outskirts, leading to confrontations. Legislators in the Afghan parliament refused to reserve a seat for the community, forcing President Hamid Karzai to decree the creation of one. Sikh and Hindu business owners, meanwhile, suffer from the same economic malaise affecting the rest of Afghan society. Uncertainty over the status of Western troops in the country and a presidential election stalemate mean less spending and lower investment. “Business has gone down in the past two years,” said Iqbal Singh, a Sikh religious leader in Kabul. “And now when we have the election dragging on from five to six months, it added to uncertainty about the country. Some people are worried about their future, which is why they flee the country.” Jasbeer Singh, called “Meet” by those who knew him, owned a spice shop in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to his uncle, Daleeb Singh, 55, who was reached by phone Monday. Meet Singh owed money for the business, his uncle said,
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Bilandar Singh, 30, left, and Enderpal Singh, 28, stand next to their small store in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. and his creditors had begun asking more frequently to be repaid. With his wife and two young sons, Meet Singh left abruptly one day a year and a half ago, Daleeb Singh said. “He didn’t tell me where he was going,” he said. “He just told me he was going abroad. And the next day, he disappeared. He couldn’t leave the area in the open.” The last word the uncle received from his nephew was a phone call from Belgium, where Meet Singh and his family lived for several months before their attempt to smuggle themselves into England. Daleeb Singh said family members held a small mourning ceremony for their relative. He hopes the British govern-
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ment will return the body to Jalalabad. He wants them to grant asylum to his nephew’s family. “They don’t have any property here, any reason to be here,” he said. “They will suffer a lot if they come back.” At his herb and spice shop in Kabul, Bilandar Singh said he and his relatives were saving money to leave the country. He said Singh’s death wouldn’t stop Sikhs from working with smugglers or even from agreeing to be smuggled inside a metal container. “From the beginning, they know they have to deal with the smugglers,” he said. “It’s a game of life and death.” beardsley.steven@stripes.com Twitter: @sjbeardsley
Herat provincial governor Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi says he favors keeping international troops in Afghanistan because of lingering weaknesses in the Afghan security forces, but he wants to see the language of a final agreement between the U.S. and Kabul before publicly endorsing the deal. MOHAMMAD A REF K ARIMI /Provided to Stars and Stripes
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Homeless Vets to Have Housing in Anchorage B y R u e Parker Kimb all
A
family living with another family Anchorage joined the initiative to end member. A family staying with veteran homelessness in May 2014, friends. A family facing eviction. with the goal of sheltering all homeless Moving from shelter to shelter or veterans in the city. Project Homeless camping in the woods. Homelessness is Connect reported seeing 100 veterans not always the guy on the corner with in January 2014, thirty of whom had the cardboard sign. It is anyone that received eviction notices that month. lacks permanent housing. There are NeighborWorks Anchorage has joined many causes of homelessness, and all the initiative to end homelessness by of them can be faced by veterans. As of purchasing a group of three properties 2013, there were about on Duben Avenue in 200 homeless veterans east Anchorage. Their in Alaska. That numintention is to build Anchorage joined ber should be zero. a community of vetthe initiative No homeless veterans erans in the new Pato end veteran by 2015 is a nationtriot Square Properties, wide initiative that was which will include 18 homelessness in May begun by the Departunits and the ability 2014, with the goal to permanently house ment of Veterans Affairs in November 2009. up to 48 people includof sheltering all The goal is to not just ing an on-site property homeless veterans manager. The location shelter homeless veterin the city. ans, but to get them out is ideal due to its proxof the shelters and into imity to the VA and safe and stable housJoint Base Elmendorfing that is affordable. Richardson, plus acAccording to the February 2013 End- cess to bus lines and nearby shopping. ing Homelessness Among Veterans According to Ginger George-Smith, report published by the United States Director of Resource Development Interagency Council on Homelessness & Marketing for NeighborWorks, the
(USICH), “veterans have historically been at greater risk of experiencing homelessness than other U.S. adults.” From that report, we see that poverty is a major factor to homelessness. The good news is that veterans are less likely to be poor than other U.S. adults, but for those that are poor, the risk of homelessness is even higher. Major causes can be lack of support, PTSD and other mental health stressors, and most significantly, isolation. The initiative doesn’t just focus on homelessness, but includes support by providing services for many of the issues that cause it. It’s working. USICH reports that in the first four years, veteran homelessness has decreased by 24 percent nation wide.
Muldoon Community Council fully supports the project, as do the surrounding neighbors. The idea for the project came from a discussion with Catholic Social Services, in which homeless veterans and their families were identified as in need of housing, George-Smith said. The first property NeighborWorks has utilized is an existing 5-plex, which was renovated with the help of a $12,000 in-kind donation from the Home Depot Foundation. With this money, NeighborWorks was able to purchase paint and supplies. The entire NeighborWorks staff was joined by employees from the Home Depot on Tudor Road, Credit Union 1, and Senator
Lisa Murkowski’s office. Together, they renovated and rejuvenated the property inside and out. According to Ilene Morin, Associate Broker and Assistant Property Manager, what makes this property unusual is the size of the units. There are two, three, and four bedroom apartments. Because of the lack of housing in Anchorage, it is generally difficult to house large families. There are few rentals available with more than a few bedrooms, and those that are available are often not affordable. The extra bedrooms at Patriot Square provide some relief, and one apartment is home to a family of nine, Morin said.
building season and the remaining one in 2016. Together, these sites will provide a housing community to support veterans and remove them from isolation. NeighborWorks provides resident services to support potential issues that may arise, and provides access to help through Anchorage Community Mental Health Services. The on-site manager can also assist with immediate property needs that might not otherwise be addressed for some time.
Qualifications for potential tenants includes a base income at least twice the price of rent, or a housing voucher. A clear rental history is desired, but two Because the units were already rented character references can be substituted when NeighborWorks purchased the if someone doesn’t have a rental hisbuilding, it was important to them not tory. NeighborWorks does not accept to force any families to move out in or- tenants that are registered sex offenders der to move other families in, George- or that have certain felonies. Smith said. Instead, NeighborWorks NeighborWorks is “dedicated to imhas moved in veterans only as units beproving the quality of life for families came available. This has been successand individuals by preserving homes, ful in housing veterans, as three units creating new housing opportunities are now filled by families that were and strengthening neighborhoods.” homeless or facing homelessness, with They began at a kitchen table in 1980 a fourth unit rented by a veteran that and went on to revitalize Spenard was already on site. and expanded to other neighborhoods The lot next door to the 5-plex had been throughout the city. They currently the home of a dilapidated structure maintain 955 units in 11 properties, that was burned out and causing safety with two additional partnerships. They concerns. NeighborWorks bought that also manage other properties for HUD property and cleared the lot, and also compliance. They are a 501(c)3 nonpurchased a lot across the street. To- profit that is 87 percent self-sufficient, gether, there are plans for a new 5-plex relying on grants and donations for next to the existing one, and an 8-plex only thirteen percent of their funding. across the street. All will be single bedroom apartments, ideal for housing individuals and couples. The new construction is meant to be non-obtrusive, blending with the local surroundings.
The new sites are currently awaiting funding, but according to Matt Kropke, Director of Real Estate Development with NeighborWorks, they hope to complete one site during the 2015
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A1 Publishing Alaska
August 22, 2014
>> EXPLORE ALASKA
Fishing Southcentral Alaska’s inland lakes and rivers Major Mike Dryden USAR Ret.
Starting with Big Lake just northwest of Wasilla on the Parks Highway to the Talkeetna Spur Road is an area known as the Susitna River Drainage that is a fisherman paradise all of which is road accessible by even the most sissy of lower 48 style motor car. Yes, you can charge up the Prius battery and silently slip into Montana Creek, Sheep Creek, Little Susitna River, Willow Creek and Deshka Landing just to name a few where you can take your chances with king and silver salmon, trout, grayling and Dolly Varden (a real fish, not a punk rock band). Since this is not a fishing report (many can be viewed from numerous websites) I will just say with a little help from the MWRs outdoor recreation rental equipment on base/post you can be ready for an Alaskan rite of passage for Cheechakos (newbies). After just one trip, you can self promote yourself as the Alaska fishing expert at your office. What does the new guy know anyway? You have been in Alaska a month longer than they have. If you not ready for an outdoor adventure that could land you in Japan or Fiji if you get lost, then stay off the Susitna River and start with a little lake fishing. Most all of the lakes have public access (well marked) although some the shoreline is owned by private citizens. Most lakes are stocked by the State Department of Fish and Game and the regulations will be posted near the public access site. I would suggest going to Fin and Fur’s website and downloading the regulations for your area to avoid getting a citation from the Brown Shirts. If you are approached by an officer from Alaska Fish and Game, try to work in the terms of endearment “Brown Shirts “and “ Fin and Fur “into the conversation. These folks have a great sense of humor and you all will get a big laugh. The great thing about lake fishing is even if the fishing is slow you will have beautiful scenery to absorb while waiting for a bite. Your kids will enjoy lake fishing more than they will combat salmon fishing down on Ship or Bird Creek. Buy the red and white bobbers because the youngums will be memorized by them. Soon they will begin to wonder why they ever spent any time playing video games rather than fishing (hope springs eternal). Be sure to check the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website for outboard motor restrictions (or if
motors are allowed at all). Some waters like the Kenai River have horsepower restrictions and they are enforced. Also just to be a good steward of the environment, don’t buy an old non-fuel injected 2 cycle engine because of the oil and fuel they will leave in the water. From a pure financial point of view, all signs points to a time in the not too distant future when these older outboards will be prohibited. Don’t waste any time trying to pick the best spot because all are good choices. Be sure all of your party has PFDs (life jackets, not the checks we sourdoughs
get in the fall) and all are properly briefed. The Alaskan outdoors can be a wonderful experience but can be deadly if you are stupid. Driving a boat impaired carries the same penalty in Alaska as driving an automobile impaired so make sure the operator abstains from adult beverages and pain killers. Don’t let the summer turn into fall without some fishing. “Fish On” Be safe and have fun.
August 22, 2014
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crossword SEMI-CIRCLES By Clyde Doby
53 Bug trapper 54 Sheds tears
102 Media revenue sources
16 Groundless, as speculation
70 Sinuous letters
17 Alternative to honey or sugar?
72 Something to catch
ACROSS
55 Prefix with “air” or “field”
103 Remove shackles
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57 Fencing blade
110 Pool material
6 Pure
58 A-list group
111 Cotton capsules
12 1980 Olympic hockey champion
59 Volcano in Sicily
115 Surpassed
15 Verdi masterpiece
60 After dark, poetically
117 Vamps
61 British reform schools of old
118 Unlike a watched pot
___ Rica
19 Obvious onlooker
106 Was in no way happy
20 Piece of lottery equipment
64 Do some roadwork
119 Violation of the Geneva Convention
21 Esteemed
65 ___ cotta
120 Grow into
67 Stun
121 Animal of the Andes
68 Furious
122 Indecent literature
70 N.J. clock setting
123 2,000 pounds
73 Put on an unhappy face
124 Sports venues
23 Bucker under a buckaroo 24 Postwar British prime minister 25 Airtight, as an alibi 26 Asian palm or nut 27 Statement of belief 28 Pollen bearers 29 Small-time gambler 31 Egyptian-headdress snake 34 Part of a nest egg 35 Emulate a kangaroo 38 Prompt 39 “The Divine Comedy” poet 41 Bottom of a ring 45 Pleistocene and Miocene 47 Tasty tidbit 48 Hollywood’s Lollobrigida 49 Colorless petroleum distillate 51 Fuse metal to metal, in a way
75 Beak 76 Abnormal respiratory sound 80 Wedge placed under a wheel 82 Wine bottle feature 83 Get on in years 84 Those opposed 85 Is really up there 86 Ancient 89 Pixies 91 “Munich” star Bana 92 “My kingdom for ___!” 93 The big chill? 94 Gentleman of Portugal 97 Is abundant 98 Write on glass 100 Tyrannosaurus ___ 101 Suffix with “meteor”
125 McLain, baseball’s last 30-game winner DOWN 1
Ty or Lee J.
2 Fairy tale meanie 3 Piggy-bank part 4 Palindromist’s dogma 5 High-intensity lamps 6 Hip-shaking dance 7
Drag strip vehicle
8 Comparatively quick 9 Display of grandeur 10 ___ off (started a hole) 11 Two-way preposition 12 William Tell’s canton 13 End of Doris Day’s theme song 14 Not forming an angle 15 Michael or Gabriel
18 Uses a calculator 22 Cavities in bones 30 Slangy snack 31 Replied 32 Prepares in a teapot 33 Forming into small, round masses 35 “It follows that ...” 36 Illusions at the gallery 37 Drop by spontaneously
71 Mushroom-to-be 74 Like an angry cat’s back 77 Rose extract 78 Faithful follower 79 Elizabeth I’s favorite 81 One with big plans 83 Serve perfectly 84 Cary Grant’s real first name 87 Slot-machine lever 88 Distribution 90 Type of type
40 One of several in this puzzle
95 “In ___ words ...”
42 Go see 43 Follower of Santa
98 Itchy skin inflammation
44 Showing more normal judgment
99 Projects for degree candidates
46 Look at the answers beforehand
104 Ford’s predecessor
47 Not showing normal judgment
106 Manipulates a needle
50 Statute of Liberty’s home
107 One may be final
96 Cut and splice again
105 Peer of the realm
52 Sweethearts
108 Shade of many shades
53 Pause in music
109 Sample tape
56 Serious girlfriend
110 Coffin support
60 Drop an easy one
112 Payback item
61 Excavating machines 62 Be out-of-pocket
113 Outline in clear detail
63 Test site
114 Dispatch a dragon
66 Rhode Island Red yield
116 Cub Scouts division
69 Banks the baseball legend
117 CEO’s degree
Last week’s answers
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August 22, 2014
August 22, 2014
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Friday, August 22, 2014
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PACIFIC
There’s nothing clear about Asian skies BY M ATTHEW M. BURKE AND CHIYOMI SUMIDA Stars and Stripes
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa ust about the only thing clear about the skies over large parts of South Korea and western Japan each spring and summer is that an unhealthy yellow haze of pollution drifts over from China. Mountains and the tops of tall buildings fade in the smog. Warnings are issued for residents to stay inside on the worst days. Things are even worse in Beijing and other major Chinese cities, and the country has taken some steps to reduce the high concentration of desert sand and what’s known as PM2.5 pollution, installing emissions-cutting exhaust filters, reducing coal use, tightening vehicle emission
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standards and working to reduce particulate matter. The effectiveness of the efforts is uncertain. Government officials and researchers in Japan and South Korea describe the situation as a delicate balancing act in which some believe China’s steps are working while others say the haze hasn’t gotten any better and could get worse — depending on climate conditions, China’s enormous population and lofty industrial goals. “Basically, since the late 1990s, when the economic growth in China started, the particles started to come to Japan and South Korea,” said Toshihiko Takemura, associate professor of atmospheric pollution studies at the Kyushu University in Fukuoka, a couple of hours north of Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan. “The
amount of incoming PM2.5 in Japan neither decreased nor increased in the past 15 years.” Col. Hee-Choon Sam Lee, chief of Force Health Protection and Preventive Medicine for the 65th Medical Brigade in South Korea, said particulate matter is associated with an increase in common illnesses including eye infections and upper respiratory conditions, such as coughing and asthma. Because the military population in South Korea is small, it’s difficult to say whether air pollution causes an increase in those illnesses within the USFK community, he said. Korean hospitals — which have a larger pool of patients — report a link between declining air quality and illness, he said. SEE PAGE 12
The weather phenomenon called HwangSa — also referred to as Yellow Sand or Asian Dust — has been known to engulf cities in South Korea. PHOTO
NOGA A MI - RAV/Stars and Stripes Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
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PACIFIC A large, dense plume of dust blows southward and eastward from the desert plains of Mongolia over Japan and the Pacific Ocean. The massive dust storm (brownish) can easily be distinguished from clouds (bright white). Courtesy of NASA
Hazy: Medical official says pollution is associated with increase in ailments FROM PAGE 11
“It is not an acute problem (for the military), but overlong exposure to it can cause someone to have so many asthma attacks that it might not be feasible for that person to remain in Korea,” he said, adding that his comments represent his opinion and not that of the military. A small handful of USFKaffiliated patients who are sensitive to air quality may experience health problems severe enough for them to consider going back to the U.S. early or to not extend their tours, he said. Particulate exposure in South Korea is highest through the late fall and winter months, though that period has been coming earlier and staying later. PM2.5 particles are about one-thirtieth the width of a human hair and can reach deep inside the lungs, according to Japan’s Environment Ministry website. They pose various health risks, especially to those with respiratory ailments, such as asthma and bronchitis, and at-risk populations such as children and the elderly, and could contribute to lung cancer and heart attacks. PM2.5 often attaches itself to the sand, which is lifted by ascending air currents and is carried by subtropical westerly winds, according to officials from Japan’s Fukuoka District Meteorological Observatory.
Japanese Environment Ministry safety guidelines warn residents to stay inside when PM2.5 levels exceed 70 micrograms per cubic meter on a daily average. Fukuoka officials issue a forecast geared toward at-risk populations when the pollution exceeds 30 micrograms per cubic meter. “The levels this year are lower than those of an average year, but this is basically attributed to the climate condition,” said Seiji Sugata, senior researcher at the National Institute for Environmental Studies Japan. “Because they fluctuate year by year, we should not react quickly to short-term trends. Should the climate conditions move adversely, the situation could worsen.” Officials from South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research in Incheon said the levels there are not as bad as last year but are worse than past years due to climate conditions. “This year’s particulate matter so far is similar to last year’s,” said an NIER air quality research division spokesman who spoke on the traditional condition of anonymity. “In comparison with the past few years before 2013, this year’s particulate matter is worse.” There are concerns that the dust season may be expanding. Dr. Lee Sangsam, of the Asian Dust Research Lab in South Korea, said it began
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article pollution is a mixture of microscopic solids and liquid droplets suspended in air. This pollution, also known as particulate matter, is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust particles, and allergens (such as fragments of pollen or mold spores). Fine particle pollution or PM2.5 describes particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller — 1/30th the diameter of a human hair. Fine particle pollution can be emitted directly or formed secondarily in the atmosphere. Examples Sulfates are a type of secondary particle formed from sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial facilities. Nitrates, another a type of fine particle, are formed from emissions of nitrogen oxides from power plants, automobiles, and other combustion sources. The chemical composition of particles depends on location, time of year and weather. SOURCE: EPA
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early this year — in January — in South Korea. Officials in the Japanese city of Fukuoka issued a health warning in July, later than usual. The peak season of PM2.5 particles in western Japan is April and May, according to the Nagasaki prefectural government’s environmental health center. Density levels begin to rise in January and normally begin to subside after the rainy season and through summer when a highpressure system in the Pacific Ocean dominates, according to officials at the center. Residents in those two countries just have to deal with it. “For handling particulate matter, people need to control some of their actions: controlling outdoor activities, wearing masks specially designed to filter particulate matter, closing windows to keep out particulate matter, cleaning houses by using wet vacuums and so on,” said Lee Jong-tae, a professor of Environmental Health at Korea University in Seoul. The issue has nagged China’s neighbors, but is also a real concern at home for the Chinese. State-run media has called for environmental improvements as conditions continued to deteriorate in Beijing. Controlling dust and PM2.5 was the top issue at the 16th Tripartite Environment Ministers’ Meeting for China, Japan and South Korea in late April, according to a joint
communique. The meeting yielded nothing with teeth. The ministers exchanged environmental policies, agreed to share relevant data — including hourly PM2.5 monitoring — and pledged to work jointly to tackle nine priority areas, topped by air quality improvement. Takemura said steps have been taken at the local level. In Yokkaichi and Kitakyushu, cities in northern Kyushu, citizens have been adversely affected by the pollution, causing officials to work closely with cities in China, offering technical support and advice. Early last year, U.S. Forces Japan established a working group with U.S. military stakeholders from across Japan to study air quality concerns, said USFJ spokesman Lt. Col. David Honchul. Deciding to rely on information from Japan’s extensive air-monitoring system rather than set up their own, the working group developed a three-tier Air Quality Awareness Program, which is being prepared for implementation. It focuses on education, air monitoring and notifications. To monitor air quality in Japan, see http://aqicn.org/ city/japan/saseboshi/fukuishi/ or check the Japan Meteorological Agency maps at http:// www.jma.go.jp/en/kosafcst/. Stars and Stripes reporters Ashley Rowland and YooKyong Chang contributed to this report. burke.matt@stripes.com sumida.chiyomi@stripes.com
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‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ and the policy wonk
MILITARY
NATO is ready to respond to W infiltration of member state BY JOHN VANDIVER Stars and Stripes
STUTTGART, Germany — A NATO military response would be required if Moscow secretly sent personnel, with or without Russian military uniforms, into a member state as it did during its takeover of Crimea earlier this year, NATO’s top officer said. “If NATO sees foreign forces infiltrating its sovereign territory, and if we can prove it comes from an aggressor nation — then that’s Article 5,” Gen. Philip Breedlove said in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt. “That means a military response to the actions of the aggressor. Therefore, we have to expand the internal national capabilities to identify such a move and to deal with it.” Article 5, the linchpin of the alliance’s founding treaty, ensures that an attack on one member demands a collective response from all. Breedlove’s latest comments come as NATO is preparing for a summit next month that will, in large part, focus on shifting the 28-nation alliance’s attention back to potential threats inside Europe. Breedlove, NATO’s supreme allied commander and head of U.S. European Command, has said NATO must take into account Russian actions in Ukraine as it prepares for future threats.
‘ If NATO sees foreign
forces infiltrating its sovereign territory, and if we can prove it comes from an aggressor nation — then that’s Article 5. That means a military response to the actions of the aggressor.
’
Gen. Philip Breedlove NATO’s supreme allied commander referring to the armed military without national insignia who create unrest. “We’ve seen this in eastern Ukraine. ... And there is a danger that it also could happen in other East European states. Therefore, we have to train the police and army there in such a way that they can deal with this kind of challenge.” Late last month, Breedlove said allies also must take into proper account unconventional threats such as cyberwarfare and irregular militia operations. “It is illustrative for us to look at this form of warfare we’re seeing from Russia and how we will react to it in the future,” Breedlove said at the time.
Western officials have accused Moscow of arming pro-Russia militants in eastern Ukraine and dispatching Russian military personnel to the country. In the case of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin initially denied Russian military were present in the country, only to admit it later as Russia formally annexed the region in March. Breedlove said NATO must be ready to counter such unconventional tactics, which NATO’s eastern member states fear Russia could deploy in areas with large ethnic Russian populations, such as in the Baltics. “The most important thing is that NATO nations are prepared for the so-called little green men,” said Breedlove,
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This publication is a compilation of stories from Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent newspaper authorized by the Department of Defense for members of the military community. The contents of Stars and Stripes are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Defense Department or the military services. The U.S. Edition of Stars and Stripes is published jointly by Stars and Stripes and this newspaper. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DOD or Stars and Stripes of the products or services advertised. Products or services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.
© Stars and Stripes, 2014
atching the and has given her a platform to machinations educate military families about of our nation’s the policies that affect them. government — its To fulfill this objective, actions or lack thereof — we Hicks moderated a webinar, may feel helpless, unable to “Policy Bootcamp.” In the influence the decisions that session, she clearly explains affect us as military families. federal budget issues, delineatBut Reda Hicks, an Army wife, ing the purposes of authorizaattorney and self-described tions and appropriations bills, “policy wonk,” is convinced mandatory and discretionary that we can make a difference. spending, in easy-to-underHicks has a fascination for the stand language. She also finer points of legislation and explains sequestration — no policy, particularly as it relates small feat. to military members and their Hicks said she hopes to families, but realizes that conduct more sessions, informmany people feel overwhelmed ing military families about by these issues. the workings of government The basics are not out of and how individuals can be reach. For an outline of how involved. federal laws are made, Hicks The best way to begin, she says look no further than a said, is to choose one issue that childhood favorite, “I’m Just resonates, learn about it and a Bill,” from “Schoolhouse find out what simple action Rock!” The musical cartoon will make a SPOUSE CALLS difference. segment, now decades old, shows the journey a bill takes Doing one through the branches of the thing is government to become a law. easier than “It sounds silly … but that’s taking on the most basic, straightforthe entire ward explanation of how a political propolicy idea becomes a law,” cess. Hicks’ she said. “Once you underbackground stand that process, then you in law gives have a framework for figuring her a leg up Terri Barnes out how, and on underwhere in the standing Join the conversation with Terri at process, you legislation might want to stripes.com/go/spousecalls and policy, engage.” but she said Hicks a law degree encourages military families is not a necessity for political to get involved in their govactivism, or even elected office. ernment somewhere in that “Plenty of people on Capitol Hill aren’t lawyers,” she process. pointed out, adding that it’s “The truth is, some of the important for lawmakers to laws that most affect our daily have interaction with citizens. lives are made at the local Without that they become dislevel, not the national level connected from the impact of — laws affecting our kids’ the policy they create, another schools, sales and property reason individual activism is taxes, neighborhood facilities important, she said. like emergency response and “I just think if you spend all libraries,” she said. “Being of your time in Washington, involved where you live really helps in understanding how D.C., it’s easy to forget that all the pieces of our political people in different places and process fit together.” under difference circumA partner in a law firm in stances can have very different Houston, Hicks is one of the experiences of the laws and leaders of the Military Spouse policies being developed,” she JD Network, an organization of said. military spouses who are attor“It’s important for communeys. She was also named the nities, and in particular the Armed Forces Insurance 2014 military community, to foster Army Spouse of the Year. The an ongoing dialogue with our commercially sponsored title, lawmakers. The more they conferred by Military Spouse know about how our families Magazine, recognized her live, the more informed their advocacy of military families decisions will be.”
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T R I P E S
code breaker In these Code Quotes from America’s history, each letter given is a code consisting of another letter. To solve this Code Quote, you must decode the puzzle by replacing each letter with the correct one. An example is shown. A ‘clue’ is available if you need extra help. Example: G E O R G E W A S H I N G T O N Is coded as: W J A M W J G I T C X Z W F A Z
H T Z L U M H
I J Z P
I Z T J M L H I W
S L Z P U I Z E A
H A
E J A
A B U P
N U T T W
B H X Z
H
S J U E A
O X E M A U J E U E V
U E
A U T Z .
M H L A Z L
Hint: This statement was made in a speech discussing how our elected representatives bear no resemblance to the will of the American people and that republicanism has collapsed in the United States Last week’s answer: A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. John Adams
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August 22, 2014
STARS AND STRIPES •
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Can you:
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TA R S
A N D
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T R I P E S
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Volunteers needed
Meet and greet guests, data entry, and give tours? Schedule volunteers & directors for duty each month?
Alaska Veterans Museum
Write press releases, call media organizations, and/or design ads? Coordinate with schools, Scouts, etc to arrange tours and other events?
Friday, August 22, 2014
is Yo ap ur pr he ec lp iat ed
Brief VFW’s, American Legions, AMVETS & DAV Chapters on AVM activities ? Help collect oral histories; work directly with our Veterans to document their experiences? Help by donating Military uniforms & artifacts form WWI, Korea, Vietnam & the Gulf Wars? Help raise money to continue and expand our programs, and ultimately move to a larger space?
Please call: Suellyn @ (907) 696-4904 to offer any help you can.