Stars and Stripes is an American
newspaper that reports on matters affecting the members of the
United States Armed Forces. It operates from inside the
Department of Defense, but is editorially separate from it, and its
First Amendment protection is safeguarded by the
United States Congress, to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests, regularly reports. As well as a website,
Stars and Stripes publishes four daily print editions for the military service members serving overseas; these European, Middle Eastern, Japanese, and South Korean editions are also available as free downloads in electronic format, and there are also seven digital editions. The newspaper has its headquarters in
Washington, D.C.