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Jennifer H. Svan

The F-15C crash that killed 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen was the result of the pilots fixation on the intercept of the simulated adversary aircraft and failure to execute cockpit instrument visual scans while flying through cloud cover and experiencing spatial disorientation, said a report by an Air Force accident investigation board released Nov. 23, 2020.<br>Facebook
The F-15C crash that killed 1st Lt. Kenneth "Kage" Allen was the result of the pilots fixation on the intercept of the simulated adversary aircraft and failure to execute cockpit instrument visual scans while flying through cloud cover and experiencing spatial disorientation, said a report by an Air Force accident investigation board released Nov. 23, 2020.<br>Facebook

Pilot error, poor visibility caused Lakenheath pilot to crash in North Sea

Air Force 1st Lt. Kenneth Allen, 27, with the RAF Lakenheath-based 48th Fighter Wing, was killed after his plane plunged into the North Sea about 140 miles northeast of the base on June 15.

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Shadia Hossain waits in her car at the University of Maryland Global Campus Europe's commencement ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Hossain earned a master's degree in business administration. The ceremony was held outdoors, drive-movie-in style, to keep everyone socially distant due to the coronavirus pandemic.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Shadia Hossain waits in her car at the University of Maryland Global Campus Europe's commencement ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Hossain earned a master's degree in business administration. The ceremony was held outdoors, drive-movie-in style, to keep everyone socially distant due to the coronavirus pandemic.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Maryland graduates serenaded with a chorus of honks in Germany

The commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 was to have been in May but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pho with tofu at Liami, a new restaurant in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, contained hearty slices of tofu that soaked up the seasoned broth. The cilantro and pieces of hot red pepper gave it added flavor and kick.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
The pho with tofu at Liami, a new restaurant in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, contained hearty slices of tofu that soaked up the seasoned broth. The cilantro and pieces of hot red pepper gave it added flavor and kick.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Enjoy the comfort at Liami, the newest Asian fusion restaurant near Ramstein

Eating lunch at my desk at work, I couldn’t finish the brown slop in my bowl, sold as miso soup in a plastic container from the shoppette.

Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division begin a two-mile run at Fort Carson, Colo., in June 2020. Service members and other patrons may now wear fitness gear to commissaries and military exchanges on Defense Department installations, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a memo dated Nov. 2, 2020.<br>Scott J. Evans/U.S. Army
Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division begin a two-mile run at Fort Carson, Colo., in June 2020. Service members and other patrons may now wear fitness gear to commissaries and military exchanges on Defense Department installations, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a memo dated Nov. 2, 2020.<br>Scott J. Evans/U.S. Army

Athletic wear now allowed at base commissaries and exchanges, defense secretary says

Defense Secretary Mark Esper immediately authorized physical fitness attire for wear by patrons at commissaries and military exchanges at Defense Department installations.

Students walk towards the main entrance of Wiesbaden High School in Hainerberg housing area in Wiesbaden, Germany. The school announced Nov. 3, 2020, that a student has tested positive for the coronavirus. More than two dozen positive cases have been reported within the Wiesbaden military community recently, in line with a spike in case numbers off-post, city officials said.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes
Students walk towards the main entrance of Wiesbaden High School in Hainerberg housing area in Wiesbaden, Germany. The school announced Nov. 3, 2020, that a student has tested positive for the coronavirus. More than two dozen positive cases have been reported within the Wiesbaden military community recently, in line with a spike in case numbers off-post, city officials said.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes

Dozens of new coronavirus cases reported at Army base in Wiesbaden

More than two dozen coronavirus cases have been reported in the U.S. military community in Wiesbaden in a little over a week, a German official said Tuesday.

Army Staff Sgt. Kenric Duncan, 31, works his triceps on a machine Monday, June 15, 2020, at the Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As new restrictions take effect in Germany Nov. 2, several on-base gyms will remain open for active-duty personnel.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Army Staff Sgt. Kenric Duncan, 31, works his triceps on a machine Monday, June 15, 2020, at the Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As new restrictions take effect in Germany Nov. 2, several on-base gyms will remain open for active-duty personnel.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

US bases roll out new coronavirus restrictions as cases surge in Germany

U.S. military bases in Germany announced new rules to try to keep the resurging coronavirus in check, days before a partial lockdown goes into effect around the country, which saw a record 18,641 new infections in 24 hours Friday.

Hohenfels Middle/High School was one of three U.S. military schools in Italy and Germany where coronavirus cases were reported the week of Oct. 26, 2020, officials said. The cases in the military schools came as the Italian government imposed the most severe restrictions against the virus since months of a nationwide lockdown were lifted in June, and Germany saw a record 14,964 new infections in a day.<br>Stars and Stripes
Hohenfels Middle/High School was one of three U.S. military schools in Italy and Germany where coronavirus cases were reported the week of Oct. 26, 2020, officials said. The cases in the military schools came as the Italian government imposed the most severe restrictions against the virus since months of a nationwide lockdown were lifted in June, and Germany saw a record 14,964 new infections in a day.<br>Stars and Stripes

As coronavirus infections surge in Italy, Germany, cases are reported at DODEA schools

Students and staff at four schools in U.S. military communities in Germany and Italy may have been exposed to the coronavirus, officials said this week as the two European countries that are home to thousands of American military personnel scrambled to contain the rapidly resurging virus.

Kaiserslautern's Lena Herrmann finished second at the DODEA-Europe non-virtual cross country championship on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, at Seewoog Park in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. <br> Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Kaiserslautern's Lena Herrmann finished second at the DODEA-Europe non-virtual cross country championship on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, at Seewoog Park in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. <br> Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Parsells, Bishop top much smaller field at cross country finals

Only seven teams – all from Germany – competed and those teams were further divided into small and large schools to reduce the number of runners at the starting line.

A medical technician gives an airman a flu shot at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., in 2016. Some U.S. military installations in Europe will begin vaccinating active-duty personnel for influenza next week, but DOD personnel and families in Europe at many bases will have to wait until next month at the earliest for their flu jab.<br>Mark C. Olsen/Air National Guard
A medical technician gives an airman a flu shot at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., in 2016. Some U.S. military installations in Europe will begin vaccinating active-duty personnel for influenza next week, but DOD personnel and families in Europe at many bases will have to wait until next month at the earliest for their flu jab.<br>Mark C. Olsen/Air National Guard

Coronavirus is delaying flu vaccine delivery to overseas military communities, officials say

Not enough flu shots will be available until next month to inoculate all overseas Defense Department personnel and their families, military officials said Friday, pinning the delays on the coronavirus pandemic.

Chaplain (Maj.) Donald V. Wood was sentenced to three months in jail Tuesday at a general court-martial after a military judge found him guilty of larceny, conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and of damaging nonmilitary property.<br>File photo
Chaplain (Maj.) Donald V. Wood was sentenced to three months in jail Tuesday at a general court-martial after a military judge found him guilty of larceny, conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and of damaging nonmilitary property.<br>File photo

Army chaplain jailed for drunken behavior, shoppette gas theft

Chaplain (Maj.) Donald V. Wood was found guilty of larceny, conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and of damaging nonmilitary property.

A skeleton decorates a yard on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 16, 2020. Many houses on base are already decked out for Halloween but there will be no trick-or-treaters this year. The Air Force announced last week that door-to-door trick-or-treating in family housing on base in the Kaiserslautern area is prohibited due to the pandemic. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
A skeleton decorates a yard on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 16, 2020. Many houses on base are already decked out for Halloween but there will be no trick-or-treaters this year. The Air Force announced last week that door-to-door trick-or-treating in family housing on base in the Kaiserslautern area is prohibited due to the pandemic. <br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Coronavirus puts a hex on Halloween at some US bases in Germany

The coronavirus has upended many Halloween traditions on bases in Germany.

Baumholder, Germany, a town of approximately 4,000 residents, is adjacent to U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder. Garrison officials on Oct. 15, 2020, issued an order barring military community members from frequenting bars and pubs in town after a bar employee continued to work despite testing positive for the coronavirus.<br>Stars and Stripes
Baumholder, Germany, a town of approximately 4,000 residents, is adjacent to U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder. Garrison officials on Oct. 15, 2020, issued an order barring military community members from frequenting bars and pubs in town after a bar employee continued to work despite testing positive for the coronavirus.<br>Stars and Stripes

Soldiers are banned from going to Baumholder bars after coronavirus case

Bars and pubs in the area of Baumholder, Germany were made off-limits to service members Thursday after an employee at a local watering hole popular with Americans tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.

U.S. military personnel visit the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center at lunchtime on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Tens of thousands of military personnel and their families live and work in Germany, but if they test positive for the coronavirus, they are not counted in official case numbers in several German communities.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
U.S. military personnel visit the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center at lunchtime on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Tens of thousands of military personnel and their families live and work in Germany, but if they test positive for the coronavirus, they are not counted in official case numbers in several German communities.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

US military figures obscured, often uncounted in Germany’s coronavirus totals

Several German health departments don’t include U.S. military personnel in case totals because they consider them nonresidents, since most aren’t required to register with local governments under the terms of the status of forces agreement.

Staff Sgt. Maxime Copley, 86th Medical Group, takes patient information at the coronavirus screening drive-thru at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 31, 2020. Germany on Wednesday reported more than 4,000 new infections, while Kaiserslautern earlier this week listed eight new active cases among U.S. forces in its area.<br>Taylor D. Slater/U.S. Air Force
Staff Sgt. Maxime Copley, 86th Medical Group, takes patient information at the coronavirus screening drive-thru at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 31, 2020. Germany on Wednesday reported more than 4,000 new infections, while Kaiserslautern earlier this week listed eight new active cases among U.S. forces in its area.<br>Taylor D. Slater/U.S. Air Force

Germany sees biggest rise in coronavirus cases since spring; US military cases up in Kaiserslautern

The Kaiserslautern district health department, responsible for areas that include several U.S. Army bases and Ramstein Air Base, listed 14 new coronavirus cases — including eight among U.S. forces — bringing the total number of active infections to 54 as of Tuesday.

Red grapes look ready to burst on the vine along the Pfalz Wine Trail in Germany.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Red grapes look ready to burst on the vine along the Pfalz Wine Trail in Germany.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Pfalz Wine Trail winds through Germany’s vineyards, forests

The German Wine Route is billed as the country’s oldest scenic drive, winding 50 miles through the wine villages of the Pfalz region.

The gate to the campus of Ramstein Intermediate School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, was closed on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. School officials announced this week that the school will remain closed until Oct. 14 due to quarantine requirements resulting from five positive coronavirus cases associated with the school. The school was supposed to reopen Monday after closing Sept. 25.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
The gate to the campus of Ramstein Intermediate School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, was closed on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. School officials announced this week that the school will remain closed until Oct. 14 due to quarantine requirements resulting from five positive coronavirus cases associated with the school. The school was supposed to reopen Monday after closing Sept. 25.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Ramstein school will remain closed after more positive coronavirus tests

Ramstein Intermediate School will stay closed to students until Oct. 14 due to quarantine requirements, officials said after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases at the school rose to five.

Jack Dylan Grazer, left, and Ben Taylor, center, are Fraser and Sam in the HBO series ''We Are Who We Are,'' a drama about life for military dependents and others on base at U.S. Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza.<br>Alessio Bolzoni/HBO
Jack Dylan Grazer, left, and Ben Taylor, center, are Fraser and Sam in the HBO series ''We Are Who We Are,'' a drama about life for military dependents and others on base at U.S. Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza.<br>Alessio Bolzoni/HBO

Military families overseas hope to relate to new HBO drama

The eight-episode “We Are Who We Are” has caught the attention of many living on U.S. bases overseas.

Ramstein Intermediate School students and parents lined up on the first day of school on Aug. 24, 2020, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The school announced Friday that it will close through Oct. 5 after three employees tested positive this week for coronavirus.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes
Ramstein Intermediate School students and parents lined up on the first day of school on Aug. 24, 2020, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The school announced Friday that it will close through Oct. 5 after three employees tested positive this week for coronavirus.<br>Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes

Ramstein school to close for several days after three teachers test positive for coronavirus

Three teachers at Ramstein Intermediate School have tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the school’s closure to complete contact tracing and any needed testing, officials said.

Soldiers and families living on U.S. Army bases in Germany will stop receiving free American Forces Network television services as of Sept. 27, 2020.<br>U.S. Army
Soldiers and families living on U.S. Army bases in Germany will stop receiving free American Forces Network television services as of Sept. 27, 2020.<br>U.S. Army

Free AFN TV ends at Army housing in Germany this weekend

The end of the automatic AFN programming, which includes college and professional sports as well as popular stateside shows, comes after the Army in Europe decided earlier this year not to renew a contract for the service in Germany, officials said.

A fifth grade class at Bahrain School in September 2019. Elementary and middle school classes at the Navy base in Bahrain will resume on Sept. 27, 2020, a decision made by school officials after Navy leaders eased the health protection condition earlier this month.<br>Stars and Stripes
A fifth grade class at Bahrain School in September 2019. Elementary and middle school classes at the Navy base in Bahrain will resume on Sept. 27, 2020, a decision made by school officials after Navy leaders eased the health protection condition earlier this month.<br>Stars and Stripes

Navy base school in Bahrain to reopen classrooms despite teachers’ union objections

U.S. military and school officials on Bahrain plan to resume classes Sunday for elementary and middle school students, despite teacher concerns that the health risk is still too high for in-person learning.

A U.S. Army drill sergeant assigned to the34th Infantry Regiment uses the "shark attack" method on a recruit during basic training on June 12, 2017, at Fort Jackson, S.C. The Army says it will no longer shout in recruits' faces and use intimidation to establish authority and weed out the weak during basic training.<br>Darius Davis/U.S. Army
A U.S. Army drill sergeant assigned to the34th Infantry Regiment uses the "shark attack" method on a recruit during basic training on June 12, 2017, at Fort Jackson, S.C. The Army says it will no longer shout in recruits' faces and use intimidation to establish authority and weed out the weak during basic training.<br>Darius Davis/U.S. Army

Army infantry school is doing away with 'mean, nasty' shark attack methodology at basic training

Infantry recruits will no longer have drill sergeants barking orders at them inches from their faces during basic training as the “shark attack” technique, which uses intimidation to establish authority and weed out the weak, is dropped in favor of a new approach.

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II takes off from RAF Lakenheath, England, in April 2017, on the plane's first visit to the base. The 48th Fighter Wing is asking for help naming the new squadron of F-35As that will arrive at Lakenheath next year when the 495th Fighter Squadron is reactivated.<br>Stars and Stripes
A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II takes off from RAF Lakenheath, England, in April 2017, on the plane's first visit to the base. The 48th Fighter Wing is asking for help naming the new squadron of F-35As that will arrive at Lakenheath next year when the 495th Fighter Squadron is reactivated.<br>Stars and Stripes

'Thundervarks' on the way out as Air Force seeks new name for F-35 squadron at Lakenheath

The 48th Fighter Wing is asking for help naming the new squadron of F-35A Lightning II fighter jets that will arrive at RAF Lakenheath next year, saying “Thundervarks” just doesn’t cut it for the 5th-generation plane.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron rests on the flight line at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, May 8, 2020. USAFE-AFAFRICA commander Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, that moving Spangdahlem's 480th Fighter Squadron from Germany to Aviano Air Base, Italy, could take some time.<br>Alex Miller/U.S. Air Force
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron rests on the flight line at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, May 8, 2020. USAFE-AFAFRICA commander Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, that moving Spangdahlem's 480th Fighter Squadron from Germany to Aviano Air Base, Italy, could take some time.<br>Alex Miller/U.S. Air Force

Spangdahlem's F-16s aren't leaving Germany for Italy just yet

No date has been set for the last remaining U.S. fighter squadron in Germany to move to Italy, said Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, the leader of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa.

Grafenwoehr Elementary School on Tower Barracks in Grafenwoehr, Germany, is seen September 14, 2020. The school was one of three DODEA-Europe schools in Bavaria, along with the elementary and middle schools at Netzaberg, where coronavirus cases were confirmed in September.<br>Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes
Grafenwoehr Elementary School on Tower Barracks in Grafenwoehr, Germany, is seen September 14, 2020. The school was one of three DODEA-Europe schools in Bavaria, along with the elementary and middle schools at Netzaberg, where coronavirus cases were confirmed in September.<br>Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes

Students test positive for coronavirus at DODEA schools in Bavaria

Cases were confirmed at Grafenwoehr Elementary School on Tower Barracks and the elementary and middle schools at Netzaberg, Col. Christopher Danbeck told the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria community in a video message posted on the garrison’s Facebook page last week.

Col. Douglas Levien, 21st Theater Sustainment Command deputy commander, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Sean Howard place a wreath during 9/11 remembrance ceremony hosted by the 21st TSC in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Sept. 11, 2020.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
Col. Douglas Levien, 21st Theater Sustainment Command deputy commander, left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Sean Howard place a wreath during 9/11 remembrance ceremony hosted by the 21st TSC in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Sept. 11, 2020.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

At 9/11 ceremony in Germany, Army colonel remembers the day 'the hometown was struck'

“It’s a very personal day, not only a personal day if you’re an American, but even more so if you’re a New Yorker because the hometown was struck,” Col. Douglas Levien said at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Germany.

<br>Stars and Stripes
<br>Stars and Stripes

Dozens of service members to be reimbursed by Florida company that towed their vehicles

Another Florida towing company is on the hook for illegally towing, selling and scrapping U.S. service members’ vehicles while they were deployed.

DODEA students mill around after school in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in this file photo. A report by the DODEA inspector general found more than 500 incidents of serious misconduct involving students, including sexual assaults, went unreported.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes
DODEA students mill around after school in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in this file photo. A report by the DODEA inspector general found more than 500 incidents of serious misconduct involving students, including sexual assaults, went unreported.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes

DODEA schools fail to report serious incidents involving students, including sexual assault, IG report says

Hundreds of serious incidents involving students at Defense Department schools, including alleged sexual assaults and threats of physical violence, have gone unreported because of policies that allow principals to decide whether to report them, a report by the DOD Inspector General has said.

<br>Pepi Stojanovski/Unsplash
<br>Pepi Stojanovski/Unsplash

Military personnel can’t opt out of government’s payroll tax deferral

Many servicemembers, including all enlisted personnel, will see a temporary increase in their paychecks this month through the end of the year, followed by a fall in January, when they are likely to have to start repaying the money.

Paris, home to the Eiffel Tower, is in France's Ile-de-France region, which Germany's public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute, has designated a high-risk zone for coronavirus. The 21st Theater Sustainment Command uses host nation references like the RKI to determine if an area is at risk for the virus and if approval should be granted for unofficial travel.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
Paris, home to the Eiffel Tower, is in France's Ile-de-France region, which Germany's public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute, has designated a high-risk zone for coronavirus. The 21st Theater Sustainment Command uses host nation references like the RKI to determine if an area is at risk for the virus and if approval should be granted for unofficial travel.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

21st TSC soldiers in Europe have more flexibility for leave following a rule change

Service members assigned to the Army’s 21st Theater Sustainment Command in Europe no longer need a two-star’s approval for leisure travel to coronavirus risk areas.

Staff Sgt. Dustin Traylor of the 51st Fighter Wing uses a computer to fill out a customs form inside the post office at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on June 16, 2020. After months of delays, the requirement to use electronic custom forms at military post offices overseas was implemented Thursday, Sept. 3.<br>Matthew Keeler/Stars and Stripes
Staff Sgt. Dustin Traylor of the 51st Fighter Wing uses a computer to fill out a customs form inside the post office at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on June 16, 2020. After months of delays, the requirement to use electronic custom forms at military post offices overseas was implemented Thursday, Sept. 3.<br>Matthew Keeler/Stars and Stripes

Overseas military post offices stop accepting handwritten customs forms after months of delays

The Postal Service began transitioning to electronic customs forms in March due to international regulations but had granted military post offices an extension.

Two more students at Defense Department schools in the Kaiserslautern area have tested positive for the coronavirus, including one from Sembach Elementary School, officials said on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
Two more students at Defense Department schools in the Kaiserslautern area have tested positive for the coronavirus, including one from Sembach Elementary School, officials said on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

Two new coronavirus cases among Kaiserslautern area students but schools stay open

The two new school cases were closely linked to a Kaiserslautern Middle School student who tested positive for the virus last week, said a Department of Defense Education Activity-Europe spokesman.

Kaiserslautern Middle School was closed on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 for cleaning after a student tested positive for the coronavirus, school officials said.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes
Kaiserslautern Middle School was closed on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 for cleaning after a student tested positive for the coronavirus, school officials said.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes

Student’s positive coronavirus test shuts down DODEA school in Kaiserslautern for a day

Kaiserslautern Middle School was closed Friday after a student there became the first at a Defense Department school in Europe to test positive for the coronavirus in the new school year, officials said.

Lt. Col. Christine Mau, 33rd Operations Group deputy commander, puts on her helmet before taking her first flight in the F-35A on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 2015. The Air Force is offering at least $100,000 in prize money to inventors who develop systems that allow female pilots to relieve themselves in flight.<br>Marleah Robertson/U.S. Air Force
Lt. Col. Christine Mau, 33rd Operations Group deputy commander, puts on her helmet before taking her first flight in the F-35A on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 2015. The Air Force is offering at least $100,000 in prize money to inventors who develop systems that allow female pilots to relieve themselves in flight.<br>Marleah Robertson/U.S. Air Force

Air Force offers cash for better system allowing female pilots to relieve themselves in flight

The Air Force is offering at least $100,000 to whomever comes up with a way for female pilots to answer the call of nature while strapped into the cockpit of a jet.

A student walks to class on the first day of school at Vogelweh Elementary School, Germany, Aug. 24, 2020. <br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
A student walks to class on the first day of school at Vogelweh Elementary School, Germany, Aug. 24, 2020. <br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

Amid coronavirus pandemic, students' first day at DODEA's overseas schools looked different

The first day of school on U.S. military bases took on the trappings of a pandemic Monday as children bustled off to class in masks or logged on to meet their teachers from home.

Six UH-60L Black Hawks and two CH-47F Chinooks launch a mission from Multinational Base Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, in Jan. 2013. Beginning in October, soldiers selecting a career in aviation will be required to serve at least 10 years after graduating from flight training.<br>U.S. Army
Six UH-60L Black Hawks and two CH-47F Chinooks launch a mission from Multinational Base Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, in Jan. 2013. Beginning in October, soldiers selecting a career in aviation will be required to serve at least 10 years after graduating from flight training.<br>U.S. Army

Army raising service commitment for future aviators to 10 years

The decade of service obligation kicks in after graduation from flight training and does not apply to personnel currently in training, Army officials said.

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing a Florida towing company that failed to get a court order before selling the car of a U.S. Marine while she was assigned overseas.<br>
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing a Florida towing company that failed to get a court order before selling the car of a U.S. Marine while she was assigned overseas.<br>

Florida towing company sued for selling Marine’s car while she was deployed to Okinawa

A Florida towing company that sold a Marine’s car while she was serving overseas is being sued by the Justice Department for violating her civil rights.