New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- Max D. Lederer Jr., the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes, the US military's independent newspaper, announced his retirement Tuesday. According to Stars and Stripes, Lederer, who was only the second full-time civilian to hold the position of publisher, took over the job in 2007 and in the nearly three decades since had been in charge of the business and editorial operations, which include a newspaper as well as hundreds of other annual publications.

Stars and Stripes, which dates back to the American Civil War in the 1860s, operates under the Department of Defense, but is editorially independent. However, in recent years, the newspaper dedicated to reporting on matters concerning the members of the United Stat...