Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Ombudsman Who Warned of ‘Attempted Control’ Over Military Paper

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

According to a Thursday op-ed, the Pentagon fired the ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, the independent military newspaper, after she consistently warned of “attempted control” over the paper.

The former ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, was tasked with safeguarding the outlet’s editorial autonomy.

“Apparently, the Pentagon also doesn’t want you to hear from me anymore about threats to the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes. They fired me,” Smith wrote in her op-ed published by the paper.

She went on to say that her dismissal, which is set to take effect April 28, happened in “the coldest way possible” with no explanation, and that she was told the decision “is not grievable.” She had served in the role since December 2023.

“As required, I have told the House and Senate Armed Services committees in recent months of my great and growing concern about attempted control of the newspaper by the Pentagon,” Smith wrote. “No one should be surprised that they’re kicking out the one person charged by Congress with protecting Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence.”

Her removal comes amid broader changes at the publication, which receives partial funding from the Defense Department but operates independently. In January, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the paper would be revamped to “refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.”

“This administration reveals policy through social media, so Parnell’s post had to be taken seriously,” wrote Smith on Thursday. “On the same day as the X post, the Pentagon rescinded the process in the Code of Federal Regulations that would have given Stripes legal protection from interference.”

“This newspaper has a long history of commitment to the military community and to journalistic values. Please don’t let it be controlled by Pentagon brass,” she pleaded to round out her op-ed.

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