Hegseth’s Pentagon Fires Watchdog For Its Own Military Publication Stars And Stripes

The Pentagon has fired nan personification responsible for monitoring nan editorial independency of its ain subject publication, Stars and Stripes.

“Apparently nan Pentagon besides doesn’t want you to perceive from maine anymore astir threats to nan editorial independency of Stars and Stripes. They fired me,” Jacqueline Smith, nan paper’s ombudsman, wrote Thursday successful an op-ed.

In her final column, titled “The Pentagon is trying to soundlessness me,” Smith said that she had received announcement connected Thursday that her past time successful nan domiciled would beryllium April 28, owed to a mandatory five-day announcement period.

No logic had been fixed for her abrupt departure, she said, though Pentagon officials had told her, “This action is not grievable.”

“No 1 should beryllium amazed that they’re kicking retired nan 1 personification charged by Congress pinch protecting Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence,” Smith wrote. “For astir a year, Pentagon activity has placed much and much restrictions connected nan mainstream media.”

The Stars and Stripes ombudsman serves arsenic nan watchdog for nan insubstantial and was created by Congress successful 1991 pursuing attempts by subject unit to suppress unfavorable reporting astir nan Iran-Contra matter – a governmental ungraded successful nan 1980s that centered astir arms trafficking to Iran facilitated by nan Reagan administration.

Since then, ombudsmen are required to study to lawmakers annually.

“As required, I person told nan House and Senate Armed Services committees successful caller months of my awesome and increasing interest astir attempted power of nan newspaper by nan Pentagon,” Smith, who took nan position successful 2023, wrote.

The Independent has contacted nan Pentagon for remark connected Smith’s dismissal.

Stars and Stripes is funded by nan Department of Defense but is expected to support editorial independence. However, caller months person seen a drastic overhaul, including changes announced by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell intended to “refocus its contented distant from woke distractions that syphon morale.”

As a result, Smith had go much outspoken successful her columns and successful media interviews much broadly.

In March, she besides criticized a section directive that banned nan usage of “news stories, features, syndicated columns, comic strips and editorial cartoons from commercialized news media” successful Stars and Stripes editions.

“Pete Hegseth doesn’t want you to spot cartoons successful this newspaper anymore,” Smith wrote.