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.
When it comes to saving money in the Defense Department, budget experts and secretaries of defense invariably explain that personnel costs are a Pentagon millstone that will continue to grow heavier. According to a new report, by 2039, these costs could outweigh all other military obligations—squeezing out investments in hardware and requiring reductions in the size of the force.
A group of seven senators is asking 15 major defense contractors to describe the effects of potential steep reductions to the military’s budget. Those reductions were approved last August by Congress when it passed the Budget Control Act. The law stipulates that lawmakers must agree to $1.2 trillion in federal deficit reduction.
Major weapons systems largely survived a Pentagon request to shift about $8 billion in military spending, according to a defense analyst. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Congress about the late-June “omnibus reprogramming” request during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee last month. Panetta explained that the logistics of moving fuel into Afghanistan since Pakistan has shut down supply lines and the overall increase in fuel were adding billions to the Pentagon’s bills this year.
