Stars & Stripes - 09.15.17 by Metro Spirit

Volume 9, No. 40 ©SS 2017

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

Maj. Byron Hudgins, of the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters, flies through Hurricane Irma on Sunday. C OREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes

Air Force unit gathers critical data when storms threaten

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COVER STORY

Into the eye of the storm BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT INSIDE HURRICANE IRMA — Air Force Maj. Kendall Dunn tightened his grip on the control wheel of the turboprop airplane as he thrusted the bulky aircraft through then-Category 4 Hurricane Irma. At nearly 300 mph, Dunn was piloting a WC-130J Super Hercules early Sunday morning on a direct path toward the storm’s eye. A radar screen just to his left showed the plane cutting into dangerous storm bands represented by yellow and red clouds. The plane shook, dropped suddenly, and then, just as quickly, the flight became smooth as the specially outfitted weather reconnaissance aircraft known as a Hurricane Hunter burst through Irma’s eye wall. Dunn, a veteran pilot who has flown with the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron for six years, expected more turbulence Sunday morning. Just two days earlier, he flew into Irma — the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean — on a mission he said was among the more violent he had experienced. But

Air Force Hurricane Hunters were gathering critical Irma data as storm battered Florida every flight, even into the same storm, is different. “Every single time,” he said on the way back to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., at the end of the 10-hour flight. “I was totally expecting to fly into this storm and get kicked around today just because of what I did a couple days ago. Rough. Come in here today,

and it’s almost a nonevent, you know. We had some moments, but nothing was too bad today.” Stars and Stripes was on board Sunday as Dunn and the Hurricane Hunters flew what was expected to be among their last flights into Hurricane Irma’s eye to collect vital, real-time storm data for the National Hurricane Center just before the massive storm made landfall on Florida’s

coast. The relative calm inside the aircraft — where a team of nine crew and researchers worked near constantly to monitor and relay information to federal authorities — seemed at odds with Irma’s true nature, as the storm slammed into the Florida Keys about 10,000 feet below and moved over the state’s mainland. The National Hurricane Center, acting largely on data collected during the flight that took the crew through Irma’s eye five times, downgraded the storm throughout Sunday. By 8 a.m. local time Monday, it had downgraded Irma to a tropical storm but warned it was still producing near-hurricane strength wind gusts as it caused flooding across the majority of the state and produced widespread power outages and damage.

Unique mission

PHOTOS

C OREY DICKSTEIN /Stars and Stripes

Air Force Reserve pilots Maj. Byron Hudgins, left, and Maj. Kendall Dunn, of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters, fly their WC-130J Super Hercules through Hurricane Irma on Sunday morning.

The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is the U.S. military’s only unit charged with flying aircraft into dangerous storms. The unit, based at Keesler, has 10 Super Hercules outfitted with special sensory equipment to measure storm data as they fly through it. It is a dangerous charge. But it is critical, Dunn said. SEE PAGE 3

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COVER STORY

U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen Rachel Boushon, left, and Casey Densmore analyze data aboard a WC-130J Super Hercules Hurricane Hunter on Sunday. C OREY DICKSTEIN /Stars and Stripes

FROM PAGE 2

“People absolutely rely on this data — the people that make these key decisions that are going to save lives from a storm like this,” he said. “It’s vital. So, we’re getting them that information about what the hurricane is doing that there’s not really any other way to get it.” Key information about the storm is collected by sensors on the plane and by small probes — called dropsondes — released from the WC-130J’s fuselage, which gather critical information about wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, temperature and humidity. In less than two seconds, sensors on the probes feed information back to the plane, where it is analyzed and sent by satellite to

the National Hurricane Center, said Tech. Sgt. Karen Moore, a loadmaster with the Hurricane Hunter crew who is responsible for releasing the probes and entering the data that they collect. At critical locations within Irma, Moore loaded the probes into a tube and released the sensors with

a plane-shaking thud as the portal opened to send them into the storm below. On Sunday’s flight, Moore was tasked with double duty — gathering the data via the dropsondes while also releasing specialized buoys, called Airborne/Air Expendable Bathythermographs, or AXBTs, provided by the Navy to collect information about the water fuel-

‘ People absolutely rely on this data —

the people that make these key decisions that are going to save lives from a storm like this. It’s vital. So, we’re getting them that information about what the hurricane is doing that there’s not really any other way to get it.

’

Air Force Maj. Kendall WC-130J Super Hercules pilot

ing the storm. Like the dropsondes, the AXBTs almost instantly fed information back to the plane to be analyzed by two U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen embedded with the Hurricane Hunters as part of a special assignment. Rachel Boushon and Casey Densmore, Naval Academy senior oceanography students, received data from the buoys, including the water’s temperature and depth. That information helps the National Hurricane Center project the future strength and direction of the storm, said Densmore, 21. Aiming to go into Naval aviation after he is commissioned in May, Densmore said his time during the last two months with the Hurricane Hunters has been eye-opening. SEE PAGE 4

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COVER STORY FROM PAGE 3

“What these guys do is amazing,” he said. “You think it is maybe a little crazy. But it’s incredible to see the commitment they have.”

Adrenaline junkie Military hurricane hunting was built off a barroom dare in 1943 between two risk-seeking Army pilots, according to unit lore. On July 27 of that year, Maj. Joe Duckworth flew a single-engine AT-6 Texan fighter trainer from Bryan, Texas, into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, twice entering the eye of the storm, according to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s official history. The next year, the unit was activated to track weather in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. Everyone flying with the 53rd has their own reason to be there. Moore, the loadmaster, admitted she is a bit of an adrenaline junkie. The Marine Corps veteran from Atlanta who changed jobs to fly with the Hurricane Hunters said people told her she was crazy. “They’re like, ‘There’s something wrong with you,’ ” she said. “But it’s fun. It’s the best job in the military. You never really know exactly what’s going to happen.” Dunn said he did not seek out the opportunity to fly into hurricanes. He just wanted to fly C130s, and the Hurricane Hunters had an opening. The married father of two said his family gets nervous when he is tasked with a hurricane flight.

‘ They’re like,

‘There’s something wrong with you.’ But it’s fun. It’s the best job in the military. You never really know exactly what’s going to happen.

’

Tech. Sgt. Karen Moore loadmaster

PHOTOS

C OREY DICKSTEIN /Stars and Stripes

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Karen Moore releases a specialized buoy, called an Airborne/Air Expendable Bathythermograph or AXBT, into Hurricane Irma on Sunday from the back of a WC-130J Super Hercules as it passes through the powerful storm just south of the Florida mainland. The buoys, provided by the Navy, send data about the ocean including temperature and sea depth back to the plane through a radio signal.

He admitted to getting “the butterflies” himself before those missions. On Sunday, as he guided the plane through Irma, the pilot recalled his very first flight into a tropical storm after joining the unit. Within 30 seconds of taking the controls, the aircraft began to convulse, at one point nearly rolling over. “The thing was rocking and rolling, and I saw the other pilot was working his butt off. I realized it was pretty serious,” Dunn said. “We finally recovered the plane, but we were like ‘What was that?’ ” It was a tornado. The radar had missed the cyclone, and Dunn and his co-pilot flew directly into it.

‘Top-of-the-line’ Despite the occasional close call like that, the unit has an exceptional safety record. The Air Force has not lost a Hurricane Hunter aircraft to a storm since 1974. “The pilots are top-of-the-line.

Monitors allow the pilots to monitor the hurricane as they fly into the massive storm to gather data for the National Hurricane Center.

You trust them with everything,” Moore said. “Everyone here has to trust each other. It’s a full team effort, and everyone has a critical, serious job to do.” Once a hurricane makes its final landfall, the Hurricane Hunters’ jobs are over. They don’t fly into the storm over land. As Irma’s eye moved northwest up the Florida coast Sunday and the storm sent tropical-strength winds across virtually the entire state and into southern Georgia and Alabama on Monday, a massive military response was being

prepared to respond to devastation on the ground. Meanwhile, the Hurricane Hunters will be keeping tabs on Hurricane Jose, a Category 2 storm near the Caribbean Sea, with scheduled flights Monday. The National Hurricane Center expected Jose to move northward and not affect the United States. “We’ll hope that’s exactly what happens,” Dunn said. “Irma is probably going to do enough down there.” dickstein.corey@stripes.com Twitter: @CDicksteinDC

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MILITARY

Fallen sailor’s mom wants answers after Navy hearing

Rachel Eckels, mother of Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr., who died in the collision involving the USS John S. McCain, looks on Sept. 7 as she is recognized and applauded during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill.

Son was among 10 who died in USS John S. McCain collision BY CLAUDIA GRISALES Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — Even as Rachel Eckels sat poised and smiling Sept. 7 in a crowded, tense congressional hearing room, a long list of urgent and painful questions haunted her. Nearly four weeks ago, Eckels lost her son, Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr., one of 10 sailors who died when the USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker in the Pacific Ocean. The incident marked the fourth Navy ship to crash this year. “We just want answers,” Eckels said Sept. 8. “How could this have occurred for the fourth time? We need to know these answers as parents, as mothers, fathers, as citizens.” The crashes of the last two Navy ships — the McCain’s on Aug. 21 and the USS Fitzgerald’s in June — proved deadly. Seven sailors perished when the Fitzgerald collided with a cargo freighter off the coast of Japan. Days after the McCain’s collision, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, who led the Navy’s 7th Fleet, was relieved of his command. In addition, Navy officials ordered a pause of fleets worldwide and directed a review of surface fleet operations. Eckels said despite those actions, she is still left wondering whether hacking played a role in the McCain’s crash. Or was it inadequate Navy funding and training? Or was the operational pause ordered too late? During a hearing of a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing Sept. 7, lawmakers pressed Navy Vice Adm. Bill

Moran and Navy Rear Adm. Ronald Boxall for more than two hours on many of these questions. “Each and every one of them promised they would get us answers,” Eckels said of the committee members. Though there were few answers Sept. 7, the hearing set the stage for what could be a long, arduous process to get to the bottom of the Navy crashes. For now, the service is conducting multiple probes into the incidents, which could produce results in the coming months. “You have my promise we will get to the bottom of these mishaps,” Moran told committee members. “We will leave no stone unturned. We will be accountable to you, to our sailors and to the American public.” A new report presented during hearing found the Navy has been woefully behind on addressing a long list of outstanding and urgent safety and readiness issues. John Pendleton, director of Defense Capabilities and Management for the Government Accountability Office, told committee members at the hearing that the Navy has seen an increase in the number of ships based overseas, crewsize reductions that have contributed to overworked sailors, and an inability to complete maintenance on time. For example, the agency said it found more than one-third of needed warfare certifications for Japan-based cruiser and destroyer crews had expired by this summer. The statistics updated previous findings from a May 2015 report. “As of June 2017, 37 percent of the warfare certifications for cruiser and

PHOTOS

CARLOS BONGIOANNI /Stars and Stripes

John Pendleton, right, the director of Defense Capabilities and Management for the Government Accountability Office, testifies Sept. 7 at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Rear Adm. Ronald Boxall, center, the Navy’s director of surface warfare, and Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran, left, also testified at the hearing. destroyer crews homeported in Japan had expired, and over two-thirds of the expired certifications — including mobility-seamanship and air warfare — had been expired for 5 months or more,” the report states. “This represents more than a five-fold increase in the percentage of the expired warfare certifications for these ships since our May 2015 report.” The Navy has 277 ships, a 17 percent decline from its 333 ships nearly two decades ago, the report noted. Yet efforts to maintain a robust presence abroad continues despite the growing strains, Pendleton and others noted. As Sept. 7 hearing was taking place, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., issued a statement expressing deep concern over the report’s findings. “Years of budget cuts have

forced our military to try to do too much with too little,” McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in the statement. “We must all do better — Navy leaders must hold our ships to higher readiness standards and request the necessary resources, and Congress must provide the resources required to ensure the safety of our men and women in uniform.” Previous GAO findings also highlighted the Navy’s longer deployments for sailors, shortened training and reduced or delayed maintenance to meet high operational demands. It also found the Navy has doubled the number of ships based overseas, which has resulted in curtailed training periods. In addition, it found during a recent 5-year period, maintenance overruns on more than

60 percent of surface ships have resulted in more than 6,000 lost operational days. And in some cases, the agency said, sailors are working more than 100 hours per week, boosting overworking and safety concerns. “The notion they are working 100-hour work weeks is very terrifying for them and for us,” Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., told the Navy officials at the hearing. For her part, Eckels said she’s staying in touch with other families of the lost McCain sailors. And every two weeks, she will look for answers explaining why their lives were lost. “I’m staying abreast,” she said. “Two weeks from now, I’m checking in.” grisales.claudia@stripes.com Twitter: @cgrisales

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PACIFIC

Yokota airmen guide air traffic over world’s most populous metro area BY SETH ROBSON Stars and Stripes

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan hen jumbo jets fly west of Tokyo, it’s up to the Air Force to make sure they don’t crash into Mount Fuji. Air traffic controllers from the 374th Operational Support Squadron, working out of a tower on the east side of Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, are responsible for the skies surrounding Japan’s tallest mountain and the airspace over the city’s western suburbs. Radar controllers spend their days in a basement under the tower staring at screens that track aircraft flying over the world’s most populous metropolitan area and nearby mountains. “It takes a lot of focus,” said Staff Sgt. Jerrica Turney, 26, who has worked the radar screens there for four years. She and other controllers spend 90 minutes at a time watching electronic maps with circles marking 10-mile increments around the tower. Aircraft flying in Yokota’s airspace are marked with codes showing their type, altitude and airspeed, the San Diego native said. The screens show minimum safe altitudes for planes flying near Tokyo. Over Mount Fuji, for example, pilots are supposed to stay above 13,500 feet, she said.

The Yokota controllers oversee airspace over Naval Air Facility Atsugi, two Japanese bases — Iruma and Tachikawa — four small Japanese airports and millions of homes. “When you train for this job, the responsibility (for people’s lives) dawns on you quickly,” said Tech Sgt. James La Pierre, 33, of Cocoa Beach, Fla., a watch supervisor in the Yokota tower. Most of the jumbo jets that fly into Tokyo’s main airports — Narita and Haneda — travel south of Yokota’s airspace, but Turney said civilian planes pass through occasionally. On a typical day, 90 aircraft might fly through Yokota’s airspace; however, there usually are not more than 10 in the air at any given time, she said. The controllers talk to pilots over the radio to guide them through the sky and alert them if they get too close to one another. Aircraft are supposed to stay at least 3 miles apart with 1,000 feet of altitude separation, Turney said. All pilots speak English, but understanding those with Japanese accents takes some getting used to, she said. The controllers often can tell the type of aircraft they’re tracking by its radar signature. “If you’re working a helicopter, it’s usually pretty slow. Big aircraft fly fast, and fighters out of Atsugi climb really fast,” Turney said. SEE PAGE 14

YASUO OSAKABE Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

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MILITARY

13 US soldiers arrested in Texas prostitution sting BY COREY DICKSTEIN Stars and Stripes

SETH ROBSON /Stars and Stripes

Staff Sgt. Jerrica Turney, an air traffic controller at Yokota Air Base, Japan, sits in front of a radar display showing aircraft over Tokyo. FROM PAGE 12

When an aircraft leaves Yokota’s airspace, the Air Force controllers send a text message to their counterparts at Japanese airports to let them know they’re on the way. Controllers at the top of the tower deal with aircraft landing and taking off from Yokota. From their lofty perch, they have a 360-degree view of the air base and surrounding skies. On a recent weekday, the controllers talked in a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that stopped by Yokota to pick up parts and to refuel. By the time the helicopter-plane hybrid reached the 11,000-foot runway, it had transitioned from flying on its short wings to hovering with its large

rotors and moved relatively slowly before taxiing to the east side of the base. As the Osprey approached, Sgt. John Porter, 28, of Newport News, Va., pressed a pair of glowing buttons to activate traffic lights to stop vehicles from crossing the runway’s north and south overruns. The tower controllers talk to aircraft once they are within 5 miles of Yokota, but they don’t talk to pilots flying east of the tower. Those pilots work with Japanese controllers from Iruma and Tachikawa. Air traffic controllers have to pass the same flight physicals as pilots and have mandatory downtime to refresh between shifts, said La Pierre, whose job involves watching and listening to the other air

Max D. Lederer Jr., Publisher Terry Leonard, Editor Robert H. Reid, Senior Managing Editor Tina Croley, Managing Editor for Content Amanda L. Trypanis, U.S. Edition Editor Michael Davidson, Revenue Director CONTACT US 529 14th Street NW, Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20045-1301 Email: stripesweekly@stripes.com Editorial: (202) 761-0900 Advertising: (202) 761-0910 Michael Davidson, Weekly Partnership Director: davidson.michael@stripes.com Additional contact information: stripes.com

traffic controllers as they work to make sure everything goes according to plan. The controllers see plenty of aircraft at Yokota, from F-16 fighters to unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk drones. There’s not much that goes on below the tower that the controllers can’t keep tabs on. When a Yorkshire terrier escaped from its owner earlier this year, they tracked its movements on the flight line. “Every time somebody went to try to apprehend it, the dog would scurry away,” said Senior Airman Jordan Reinsma, 24, of Santa Cruz, Calif. The dog stayed on the lam for two weeks before it was finally caught, he said. robson.seth@stripes.com Twitter: @SethRobson1

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.

WASHINGTON — Thirteen Fort Hood soldiers face solicitation-of-prostitution charges after they were arrested during a two-day sting operation in locations near the Army post in central Texas, local law enforcement and Army officials said. The soldiers — among 20 individuals arrested in the operation — ranged in rank from private to major and were arrested after agreeing to pay for sex, Maj. T.J. Cruz, of the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, said Sept. 7. Each soldier has been released on bond, which ranged from $1,500 to $2,500. Deputies with the department’s Special Crimes Unit placed advertisements offering sexual activity in exchange for money on websites known for prostitution solicitation, Cruz said. Suspects agreed, typically through text messages, to prices ranging from about $60 to $200 depending on the activity and the amount of time they sought, Lt. Michele Cianci, director of the Special Crimes Unit, told the Killeen Daily Herald. The suspects were greeted by an undercover female deputy posing as a prostitute at hotels in Killeen and Salado and immediately were taken into custody, Cruz said. “The purpose of the operation is to crack down on sex trafficking and to identify and arrest individuals seeking sexual acts in exchange for an agreed-upon fee in Bell County,” Cruz said. “Our goal is to focus our efforts on sex buyers who are seeking to take advantage of sex-trafficking victims; we are putting these predators on notice that our Bell County community will not tolerate

their behavior.” Fort Hood officials said they were aware of the arrests and were cooperating with law enforcement but declined further comment. Solicitation of prostitution is a misdemeanor with a punishment ranging from a fine to jail time, but the soldiers could face additional punishment or adverse impacts on their military career. Pandering and prostitution is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Servicemembers found guilty at court-martial face a maximum penalty that includes a dishonorable discharge and a year of confinement. The soldiers arrested in the sting were identified by the Bell County Sheriff’s Department and the Army as: Sgt. Carlos Castillo, 33, of Fort Hood, Texas. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ernest Grant, 39, of Killeen, Texas. Staff Sgt. Natalion Seymour, 38, of Salado, Texas. Staff Sgt. Kendrick Davis, 28, of Copperas Cove, Texas. Master Sgt. Stanley Ervin, 41, of Killeen, Texas. Pvt. Xavier Horne, 22, of Fort Hood, Texas. Warrant Officer 1 Gregory Hughes, 34, of Copperas Cove, Texas. Maj. Donta White, 35, of Harker Heights, Texas. Spc. Jimmie Joiner, 23, of Lorena, Texas. Pfc. Adrian Upshaw, 22, of Killeen, Texas. Sgt. Michael Culpepper, 36, of Killeen, Texas. Joseph Bartolomei, 44, of Killeen, Texas. Dontae Johnson, 35, of Nolanvile, Texas. dickstein.corey@stripes.com Twitter: @CDicksteinDC

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PACIFIC

3rd Marines celebrates 75th years

Airman killed in accident on Guam Stars and Stripes

BY M ATTHEW M. BURKE Stars and Stripes

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Marine division that fought the fierce and bloody battle to capture Iwo Jima during World War II recently celebrated its 75th anniversary with a ceremony at Camp Hansen. Since its activation on Sept. 16, 1942, the 3rd Marine Division has fought in every major U.S. military conflict, and stands today as the nation’s only forward-deployed Marine division with more than 10,000 Marines, sailors and one soldier filling out its ranks. It was only fitting that members of the division, headquartered on Okinawa, were forced to endure suffocating humidity and driving rains — conditions familiar to their Pacific forefathers — while rededicating their battle streamers Sept. 8 at Camp Hansen’s parade grounds. “If it ain’t raining, we ain’t training,” said Maj. Gen. Craig Timberlake, 3rd Marine Division commander, as he addressed the soggy attendees. Timberlake then spoke about the significance of the division known as Caltrap Nation because of its use of the sharp, pointed anti-personnel weapon as a symbol. “Today, by having this anniversary celebration, we are truly marching in the shadow of a great tradition,” he said. “From the Pacific to Vietnam, to the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Global War on Terrorism and beyond, the Caltrap Nation has truly done everything it should do in the finest of Marine fashions. So today, along with our Japanese partners and allies, we stand strong, we stand ready and we are prepared to win.” The division colors were stripped of their decorations and awards for the ceremony. Marines representing the division’s various units marched one by one out onto the parade grounds, stood before Timberlake and division Sgt. Maj. Vincent Santiago and saluted. They then handed the battle streamers to their leaders. Santiago held the flag and lowered it, and Timberlake hung the decorations

PHOTOS

M ATTHEW M. BURKE /Stars and Stripes

The 3rd Marine Division’s battle streamers catch the wind as they are raised for the first time since being rededicated during a ceremony celebrating the division’s 75th anniversary.

Marines from the 3rd Marine Division march during a ceremony commemorating the division’s 75th anniversary at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, on Sept. 8. and awards. After being activated at Camp Elliott, Calif., the division spent a month in New Zealand before participating in the harrowing Bougainville, Northern Solomons, Guam and Iwo Jima campaigns, according to literature handed out at the ceremony. After the war, it was deactivated, but was called back into service in 1952. By 1965, its members were deployed from Japan to Vietnam. The division served in Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Thua Thien provinces, the literature said. In 1969, it redeployed to Okinawa; however, elements participated in the evacuations of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Between 1976 and 2006, the 3rd Marine Division participated in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, in addition to countless other operations and humanitarian-relief efforts. It has been awarded the presidential unit citation and countless other commendations. Marine Sgt. Joshua Hughley said it was an honor to witness such a historically significant milestone in the division’s history. “I didn’t know the significance of being here until I got here and got the history on the 3rd Marine Division,” he said. “It’s an honor and a blessing” to serve in this division. Cpl. Nicholas Waurio, of Camp Lejeune’s 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment in North Carolina, said he had to hand it to the Marines who served in the division during World War II for overcoming brutal conditions to achieve victory. Waurio, who is attached to the division through the Unit Deployment Program, said he and his fellow grunts train hard to keep Caltrap Nation’s traditions alive. “There’s so much history behind 3rd Marine Division,” he said. “It’s awesome to be a part of it whenever we come here.” burke.matt@stripes.com

An airman was killed Sept. 8 in a motorcycle accident on Guam. Staff Sgt. David Coplin, 35, of Mississippi, was assigned to the 554th Red Horse Squadron, 36th Wing Contingency Response Group, an Air Force statement said. The crash happened about 2:30 a.m. when his 2008 Kawasaki ZX-6R motorcycle traveling south near Outrigger Guam Resort ran off the road and struck a fire hydrant, a Guam Police Department spokesman told the Guam Daily Post newspaper. The cause of the accident is under investigation, the Air Force statement said. “It is the worst kind of tragedy when we lose a member of our Air Force family,” Brig. Gen. Douglas Cox, 36th Wing commander, said in the statement. “Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the families during this process. We ask that the privacy of the families are respected as we grieve. Our top priority is ensuring the welfare of the families and friends affected by this tragedy.” Coplin is survived by his wife, Delora Coplin, and son, David Coplin Jr., the statement added. news@stripes.com

M ARCUS FICHTL /Stars and Stripes

The Air Force said an airman assigned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Sept. 8.

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PACIFIC

Humphreys gives timelines for new facilities BY M ARCUS FICHTL AND K IM GAMEL Stars and Stripes

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Camp Humphreys had good news and bad news for its growing population as it announced plans to open several new facilities. A larger post exchange will open in November, but the troubled hospital won’t be ready for patients until the end of 2019 at the earliest. The timelines were presented as attendees at a town hall meeting Sept. 7 voiced frustration about overcrowding and problems with services on the expanded Army garrison, which is the focus of a muchdelayed relocation of the bulk of U.S. forces south from Seoul and surrounding areas. Officials said they were struggling with contractor and funding issues and were doing their best to balance the need to maintain military readiness against the threat from North Korea with comfortable accommodations for servicemembers and their families. “Bear with us,” said Col. Scott Mueller, Humphreys’ commander. “We’re growing, and we’re trying to make this as painless as we can.” Mueller, who assumed command in June, said the new PX would have its grand opening on Nov. 20 “just in time for the holiday season.” He added its accompanying food court will open Oct. 30. Deputy commander for medical services Lt. Col. Jeremy Johnson told the crowd the first day for patients at the new hospital will be in December 2019, although he later elaborated to Stars and Stripes the date is based on current projections and may change. Mueller blamed the delays on quality control issues, noting the contractor has doubled its workforce to complete the facility according to American standards. Meanwhile, the main hospital on Yongsan Garrison in Seoul will remain open and residents have access to South Korean hospitals in the local community, he said.

PHOTOS

M ARCUS FICHTL /Stars and Stripes

Col. Scott Mueller, Camp Humphreys garrison commander, answers questions during a town hall meeting at the base in South Korea on Sept. 7.

A resident of Camp Humphreys asks a question about the passport office during the town hall. Officials also said the new library, an 18-hole golf course and two gas stations will open next year. They cited a delay in the installation of anti-vehicle barriers as the reason some of the new gates aren’t open yet. Education officials also said 200 more students than anticipated had registered for the current school year, raising the student population to 1,200, and they were working on getting more teachers and resources to accommodate

them. Much of the reason for the outgrowing of amenities comes from the massive growth at Humphreys as part of a 2004 agreement to transform what was a small military outpost into a megabase that will eventually be the new headquarters for U.S. Forces Korea. The $10.7 billion expansion project, which is mainly funded by the South Korean government, has been plagued by construction problems and

quality concerns that forced some buildings to be torn down and rebuilt. The relocation was originally set to take place in 2008, then 2012 and 2016 before gaining momentum this year. The population has grown to 25,000 with the recent relocation of the 8th Army Headquarters from Yongsan and will eventually reach more than 40,000, officials said. Many residents in the audience and watching the town hall streamed live on

Facebook complained about a lack of selection and space at the commissary, which was designed for 9,000 people. Officials said employees at the current facility are working hard to keep shelves stocked, and more options are available at the commissaries at nearby Osan Air Base as well as Yongsan. Some of the biggest complaints were about the gym, where people requested expanded hours of operation. Mueller stressed hours are limited by funding, but he promised to look into the issue. He said installation management command doesn’t take into account unique characteristics like South Korean soldiers being able to use the facility, so more money was being requested. A lack of shuttle transportation was also a concern on the post where most soldiers are not allowed a vehicle and families are limited to one. Officials said military regulations have prevented them from directly servicing certain locations, and getting soldiers to work is a priority but solutions are in progress, including a possible bus that would charge a fare. Mueller told the crowd he shared many of their frustrations in the delays, but most of the construction is run and funded by the South Korean government and he has little say on the projects. “I want the new library to open. I want the access points open,” Mueller said. “We are working with 8th Army, USFK and the FED — the engineers — to get these things going and to pressure these contractors to get things done.” Mueller urged residents to continue to voice their concerns and suggestions via the interactive customer evaluation program and promised to respond if contact information is provided. Another town hall meeting specifically about the base transition will be hosted by 8th Army commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal next month. fichtl.marcus@stripes.com

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Thu Sep 14

8pm An Evening with Clint Black

Evans Towne Center Park Country superstar Clint Black performs, with Josh Thompson at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $25-$55. Tickets may be purchased at freshtix.com or at Security Federal Bank locations throughout the CSRA.

Fri Sep 15

8am - 8pm Consign for Kids

3185 Wheeler Road Kids Consignment and Rummage Sale benefits the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. Runs 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, and Saturday, Sept. 16; and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. Visit consignforkids.com or email consignforkids@gmail.com.

Sat Sep 16

8pm Mary J. Blige

James Brown Arena Tickets start at $51. Visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com or call 706-722-3521.

9am - 4pm Holistic Wellness Fair

Odell Weeks Center, Aiken

Friday, September 15, 2017

Free event showcasing holistic practitioners and practices in the CSRA. Meet holistic wellness providers and consultants, hear speakers and win door prizes. Food available. Visit facebook.com/ HolisticWellnessFair.

11am - 6pm Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture

Mann-Simons Site, Columbia, S.C. Free outdoor festival brings musicians, artisans, dancers and storytellers together to celebrate South Carolina’s black history and culture. Call 803-252-7742 or visit historiccolumbia.org.

Mon Sep 18

6pm - 8pm Civil War Roundtable Meeting

Goodwill’s The Snelling Center James I. “Bud” Robertson presents on his book, “Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend,” the basis for the movie “Gods and Generals.” Meetings cost $15, including dinner. Membership is $25 per year, individual; $40, couple. Call 706-736-2909 or visit civilwarroundtableaugustaga. com.

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