Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith was fired via DA Form 3434 after publicly opposing Pentagon attempts to control the newspaper’s editorial independence.
Key Takeaways
Pentagon rescinded Stars and Stripes’ Code of Federal Regulations protections on Jan. 15 without required public comment, violating the Administrative Procedures Act.
Deputy SecDef Steve Feinberg issued an interim policy March 9 reverting Stripes to an outdated DOD directive changeable at will.
Smith’s termination notice came from Sean Parnell’s office, six days after 39 House members signed a letter warning against ombudsman interference.
Congress created the ombudsman role in 1991 specifically to prevent military suppression of news; Sen. Shaheen is drafting a bill to codify editorial protections.
Smith believes the firing sidesteps Congress by leaving the ombudsman position vacant rather than eliminating it, avoiding a direct statutory violation.
