By Gabe Amy
The Pentagon released an eight-page memo Thursday Mar 9, 2026, regarding the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes. The memo outlines how expanded Department of Defense oversight will affect the publication, effective immediately.
The memo is the first set of new guidelines Stars and Stripes has received since Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell spoke on implementing change via social media in January. The original post on X Parnell stated, “The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters. We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.”
Shortly after the memo was released, Stars and Stripes published a story explaining that Stars and Stripes Publisher, Max Lederer, told U.S.-based staff about the memo on Thursday, March 12 and said he would begin meeting with the organization’s leadership to discuss implementation of the memo. It is being reported by Stripes that Lederer said he has not been contacted directly by anyone from the Pentagon about the changes, despite reaching out to them. The memo, which was sent to Pentagon leaders and combatant commanders, was written without Stars and Stripes’ input.
The memo will bar the publication of comics, limit wire services, and other syndicated features, stating that content must be consistent with “good order and discipline,” a phrase borrowed from the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Limiting wire services will affect Stripes’ coverage of national sports, along with worldwide news. Also, Stripes reporters are barred from filing Freedom of Information Requests while on assignment for the paper. The memo also prohibits the organization from publishing “controlled unclassified information.” This label has often been used to limit the release of information under broadly defined terms. The expectations listed in the memo reaffirm the Pentagon’s restrictions on journalists’ rights.
David Pankey, 32, is a sophomore English Literature major with a career focus in English Secondary Education. He is also the Vice President of the Military Student Organization and shared his reaction to the changes coming to Stars and Stripes and what the paper means as a resource to the military community.
“As a Marine veteran, I didn’t raise my right hand to defend comfort—I swore an oath to defend the Constitution, especially when it’s inconvenient, that includes freedom of the press.”
Pankey continued.
“When I see the Pentagon tightening control over Stars and Stripes, it raises real concerns. That paper isn’t just another outlet—it’s historically been a voice for the troops, not just the command. There’s a difference between maintaining standards and controlling narratives. Calling something “woke” shouldn’t be a justification for limiting independent reporting. We fought for the right to question authority, not blindly follow it. A strong military is built on discipline, yes—but also on integrity, accountability, and the ability to speak truth up and down the chain.”
Pankey concluded.
“If we start deciding what service members can read or what perspectives are acceptable, we’re walking a dangerous line away from the very freedoms we claim to defend. The Constitution doesn’t get deployed only when it’s convenient—it’s supposed to guide us at all times, especially in institutions as powerful as our military.”
Elizabeth Van Portfliet, Associate Director of Veterans Services, gave the following statement when contacted by The Collegiate: “I, and the GRCC Veterans Center, are supporters of First Amendment Rights and the Constitution. We would like to remind everyone that connecting with their friends and family that are on active duty is incredibly important during this turbulent time in American politics and history.”
If any students would like to send contact information for their deployed friends or family, GRCC’s Military Student Organization is offering to put together a deployment care package. Please send an email with their unit information to elizabethvanportfl@grcc.edu
