Opinion | Stars and Stripes must never become the Pentagon’s mouthpiece

Three of the most extraordinary people I have had the privilege of interviewing during my years in this industry have now been fired by the Pentagon. Publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin and former Ombudsman Jacqueline Smith each dedicated themselves to protecting the independence of Stars and Stripes and serving the military personnel, families and communities that depend on it. In my conversations with them, all three returned to the same fundamental truth: Stars and Stripes cannot fulfill its mission unless its journalism remains free from military command.