Former Stars and Stripes editor describes abrupt separation, defends editorial independence

Eric Slavin, the former editor in chief of Stars and Stripes, described receiving an unexpected notice of separation and said he was surprised by the move.

On a podcast interview, Slavin said he received a "notice of separation on Friday" and described his reaction as a shock, noting that Stars and Stripes has "a long, long history of independence." He said the outlet traces that identity to World War II traditions and that he never expected to be in a position of being separated for what he characterized as editorial decisions. The segment followed reporting that the Pentagon had moved to fire the editor in chief and other senior staff; the program cited reporting that roughly half of Stars and Stripes' $29 million annual budget comes from taxpayers.

Slavin and the host discussed editorial independence and whether his statements to other journalists could have been viewed by senior Pentagon leadership as insubordination. Slavin defended the outlet's historic mandate as the "soldier's paper" and recounted the sequence of events leading to his separation. The broadcast did not include a formal response from Pentagon officials beyond earlier reporting that personnel moves were being made.