The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, as well as its publisher and a reporter, according to the editor.

Erik Slavin said he was dismissed for insubordination after he objected to any potential censorship by the U.S. military in an interview he gave.

The editor-in-chief of the military newspaper, which is partly funded by the Pentagon but has a long legacy of editorial independence, told The Associated Press that he and the others received notices of separation.

Slavin said he was being fired “for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line.” He said he stands by the principle “that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent.”

Earlier this week, publisher Max Lederer announced his retirement effective at the end of September. He too received a separation notice, according to Slavin, as did the Middle East reporter Lara Korte.

In Lederer’s memo to staff, seen by The Associated Press, he wrote that it had "become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization."

It came amid efforts by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon to control editorial coverage and eliminate what officials term "woke distractions."

Stars and Stripes recently led reporting regarding conditions and mental health concerns among sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln during an extended deployment — issues that President Donald Trump has downplayed.