Based in Washington, Jen manages Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage.
Prior to taking on her current role, Jen was Aviation Week's Congressional Editor. Jen came to Aviation Week in March 2011 from Politico, where she covered the intersection of defense and politics. She also worked as a reporter and editor for Defense Daily, Inside the Army, The Other Paper and The Columbus Dispatch.
Jen received a Master’s degree in journalism as a Kiplinger Fellow at the Ohio State University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history and journalism from the University of Michigan.
If former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) emerges from an extremely contentious confirmation hearing as the next U.S. defense secretary, he may enter the Pentagon weakened at a time when the military's top civilian needs cooperation more than ever. The Pentagon, which scaled back its fiscal expectations dramatically in early 2012, is facing the prospect of $500 billion in across-the-board budget reductions. It is in the midst of drawing down the war in Afghanistan, guarding against continued tension in the Middle East and pivoting forces to the Pacific.
One day after President Barack Obama offered a proposal for avoiding devastating across-the-board cuts to government spending, Republican lawmakers are making a counterproposal. The Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2013 would cut the federal workforce by 10% through attrition — including at the Pentagon. And it would freeze the pay of every member of Congress. The bill offers $85 billion in savings, which its authors call a down payment on sequestration for the entire government through September.
