Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

July 21, 2017     Civilians return to Mosul as Iraqi forces mop up residual ISIS fighters A steady stream of civilians crossed a floating bridge over the Tigris River into west Mosul Thursday as Iraqi troops searched for the remnants of defeated Islamic State forces in the city.   USAFE and European partners seek common ground in integrating F-35 The U.S. Air Force has yet to stand up a squadron of F-35s in Europe, but it’s already working on how to integrate the fifth-generation combat jet with some of its closest allies in the region.   ACU-clad Dutch boy meets idols, US soldiers, along Nijmegen march route A young Dutch boy, wearing his personalized U.S. Army uniform, got quite the thrill as he met a group of U.S. Army soldiers participating in Europe’s largest international road march, which is set to end Friday.   US Army-built chapel reminds visitors of Australia’s wartime past As 33,000 troops take part in Talisman Saber war games near Rockhampton along the central Queensland coast, a small chapel overlooking a pasture serves as a reminder of when about 70,000 U.S. soldiers called the city home.   Open burns, ill winds: Full extent of military-related pollution in US still a secret The Pentagon’s handling of munitions and their waste has poisoned millions of acres, and left Americans to guess at the threat to their health.   Super Galaxy brake failure prompts pre-takeoff evacuation at Yokota in western Tokyo The plane’s crew, assigned to the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., noticed the failure while taxiing to the runway. There were no injuries.   USS Milius deployment to Japan delayed amid ‘incredible’ workload in Asia-Pacific USS Milius, originally scheduled to arrive this summer, was rescheduled so the ship can undergo additional testing and certification. The announcement comes at a time when 7th Fleet is already down a destroyer.   Manpower issue that caused Okinawa gate closures resolved, officials say Manpower issues that led to gate closures and traffic backups at some Marine Corps bases on Okinawa in recent months have been resolved, officials said.   Hawaii emergency agency puts kibosh on fallout shelters beneath Diamond Head crater Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency fielded a wave of media inquiries after a Hawaii state legislator suggested the World War II-era underground tunnel complex at Diamond Head could be revamped into bomb shelters.   NCIS special agent to co-author novel with best-selling author James Patterson Yokosuka-based Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agent Tucker Axum III beat out thousands of other competitors in the James Patterson Co-Author Competition. The organization pairs participants with experts in their field, allowing them to learn from a “master.”   GI Bill expansion, identical to House legislation, introduced in Senate One week after a sweeping expansion of veterans’ education benefits was introduced in the House and fast-tracked to a vote, an identical bill was introduced Thursday in the Senate.   Ramstein lives clean, gets dirty during Mudless Mudder The 86th Airlift Wing hosted its fourth annual Mudless Mudder on resiliency day at Ramstein Air Base on Friday.