Based in Washington, Jen managed Aviation Week’s worldwide defense, space and security coverage from 2013 to January 2024.
Prior to taking on the Executive Editor 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.
Even as Secretary of State John Kerry was touting a U.S.-Russian agreement to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, the Polish defense minister was in the U.S. thanking the U.S. military for an agreement to keep 12 F-16s and support personnel in Poland through year-end. The minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, adds that Poland is also discussing a deeper partnership with the U.S. including the permanent presence of its aircraft in the region and deepening cooperation with U.S. special operations forces, cyberdefense and the acquisition of long-range precision missiles.
To fully modernize its fleet of ships and aircraft, the Coast Guard would need about $2.5 billion per year, says Adm. Robert Papp. Yet during the last three fiscal years, the Coast Guard has received only about $1.4 billion—in part thanks to additional infusions of cash by lawmakers. This year’s budget request seeks slightly more than $1 billion, Papp says. The cutbacks have primarily been felt in operations, where the Coast Guard has tightened its belt by 30%.
