The Pentagon has appointed Chris Devine, a former Marine Corps colonel and Department of Defense public affairs official, as the acting publisher of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. The appointment, announced Tuesday, October 13, 2026, follows the August dismissals of the outlet’s top leadership for what the department termed insubordination. Devine, who previously served as executive director and principal adviser for public affairs policy within the Defense Department, replaces outgoing publisher Max Lederer.
The leadership transition follows a period of friction between the newspaper and the Pentagon. In April 2026, the department removed Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman. On August 21, 2026, the Pentagon fired Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte. The dismissals were issued after Slavin and Korte appeared in a July CBS interview where they expressed opposition to potential censorship. The three former employees have since filed a federal lawsuit alleging violations of the First Amendment and personnel rules.
Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that Devine will provide "decisive leadership to modernize Stars and Stripes" while maintaining editorial independence. Devine said he is committed to prioritizing content unique to the military community that is "not typically covered by commercial media." The department also named Navy Capt. William Urban as deputy publisher. Urban, who has served in public affairs for over 20 years, stated he would focus on expanding the outlet's digital presence to reach younger service members.
The shift in leadership follows stated goals by Pentagon officials to refocus the outlet away from what Parnell described as "woke distractions" and toward "warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, [and] survivability." Critics, including members of the National Press Club and some congressional Democrats, have raised concerns that installing military officers and public affairs officials in leadership roles may compromise the paper's ability to report independently. This includes coverage of internal issues such as the mental health concerns regarding the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which Pentagon leadership had previously downplayed.
The new structure establishes a precedent for closer DOD oversight of a publication that has historically functioned as an independent newsroom. Under new guidance issued the same day as the August firings, the outlet must safeguard information that could "adversely affect national security" or "endanger U.S. personnel" while maintaining operations free from censorship. The future of the publication's editorial stance may be further clarified as the federal lawsuit filed by the former staffers proceeds and as Devine begins his tenure as acting publisher. No specific date for a permanent publisher appointment has been reported.