Pentagon Appoints Public Affairs Chief as Publisher of Stars and Stripes

Christine Devine, the Pentagon's executive director of public affairs, is taking on the role of publisher of Stars and Stripes, with the aim of modernizing it.

The Pentagon has found a new publisher for Stars and Stripes, at least temporarily, appointing Christine Devine, executive director of the Pentagon's Office of Public Affairs, to lead the military newspaper.

Stars and Stripes, which has published a newspaper continuously since World War II, describes itself as a source of "independent news and information for the U.S. military community, including active duty service members, DoD civilians, veterans, contractors and their families" that is "governed by First Amendment principles."

The Pentagon vowed to reform the military newspaper's stars and bylines, removing "vigilante distractions."

"As a former Marine colonel and a seasoned public relations leader, Chris brings unparalleled expertise, strategic vision and a commitment to ensuring The Star and Stripes maintains its editorial independence while providing exclusive, mission-focused reporting that directly serves America's warfighters and their families," continued Parnell. In this interim role, he will provide decisive leadership to modernize the Stars and Stripes and strengthen its mission."

Devine will continue in his role as executive director and principal adviser in the Pentagon's Office of Public Affairs until a permanent publisher of Stars and Stripes is found. He is expected to split time between the two concerts.

"This is a dynamic media organization with a distinguished history and purpose, and I look forward to lending a strong hand during the interim period to the men and women who continue to contribute to its remarkable legacy," Devine said in a statement.

The Pentagon, which provides roughly half of Stars and Stripes' annual budget, began 2026 by announcing plans to overhaul the long-running military publication, according to the newspaper's website.

"The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting to our warfighters. We bring Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. "We're modernizing its operations, refocusing its content away from wakeful distractions that demoralize, and adapting it to serve a new generation of service members."

Stars and Stripes employees sue Pentagon, alleging retaliation and First Amendment violations

As part of the shakeup, longtime Stars & Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor Eric Slavin and Middle East correspondent Lara Korte were fired in August.

They have since filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon over the termination of their contract, claiming they face "retaliation and imminent termination in violation of their First Amendment and constitutional rights."

In September, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied a temporary restraining order filed by the Stars and Stripes to reverse their dismissal, arguing that they "ultimately fail to meet their substantial burden of showing that they are clearly entitled to a preliminary injunction."

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