Rachel S. Cohen
Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Magazine as a senior editor in January 2019. She covers science and technology programs, space, Congress, the nuclear enterprise, C4ISR, and more. The Michigan native graduated from American University and previously worked at Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md.), the Washington Post, and others.
Recent stories by Rachel S. Cohen
Space Force Keeps Up Aggressive Expansion of New Acquisition Units
The Space Force recently stood up an acquisition unit that will oversee how the service rolls out new equipment for a slew of missions related to how the military gathers information in and communicates from orbit.
Air Force Academy Keeps Majors Intact amid Faculty Cuts
Twenty-five faculty members—about 5 percent—have left the U.S. Air Force Academy so far this year, including those who opted into the federal Deferred Resignation Program, retired, or were not renewed for another term. Nearly 10 percent of the academy’s 1,500 or so civilian jobs were ...
Air Force Lays Out Process to Dismiss Transgender Troops
The Department of the Air Force has issued new guidance laying out the steps it will take to involuntarily separate transgender Airmen and Guardians from military service.
Air Force Chief Allvin Announces Surprise Retirement
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin will retire this fall, bringing his tenure to an unexpectedly early end. In an Aug. 18 release, the service announced Allvin will retire “on or around” Nov. 1—almost exactly two years after he assumed the CSAF job ...
Independent Federal Study to Probe Cancer Among Military Aviators Under New Law
An independent federal study will assess whether military aviators are at higher risk of cancer than the general public under a new law enacted this week. President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Aviator Cancer Examination Study Act into law Aug. 14.
$2.3B in DOGE Cuts Buried in Air and Space Force Budget Proposal
The Air Force and Space Force budgets call for nearly $2.3 billion in spending cuts in 2026, including funding for more than 5,700 full-time civilian jobs, linked to the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, an Air & Space Forces Magazine analysis has found.
Air Force Lost $13M Drone in Mediterranean After Propeller Mishap
An MQ-9 Reaper drone plunged into the Mediterranean Sea last winter after its propeller suddenly disconnected from the engine, a recently released Air Force investigation concluded.
Airman Arrested in Deadly M18 Shooting at F.E. Warren
An Airman has been arrested in connection with the July 20 death of an Air Force security forces Airman in Wyoming, a service spokesperson said Aug. 8.
Bill Would Aid Vets Exposed to Radiation, Toxins at Nevada Range
An Air Force veteran is pushing for a law that would smooth the path to disability compensation for troops who worked at the Nevada Test and Training Range—and warning others about the illnesses that may come.
Senate’s $852 Billion Defense Budget Saves Wedgetail, Keeps Space Force Flat
Senators this week advanced a $852 billion defense spending bill for 2026 that would block cancellation of the Air Force’s E-7 early-warning aircraft program, continue military aid to Ukraine, and replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles in a rebuke of certain Trump administration priorities in the year ...
Airman’s Death Prompts Investigation into Safety of M18 Pistols
The Air Force has launched an investigation into whether the pistol carried by its security forces is safe, after 21-year-old Airman Brayden Lovan died July 20 at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, in an incident involving a discharged firearm, the service said July 24.
Lohmeier Confirmed as Air Force’s No. 2 Civilian Leader
The Senate confirmed Matthew Lohmeier to serve as Air Force undersecretary in a 52-46 vote July 24, elevating the former Space Force officer to the service’s No. 2 civilian job four years after he was fired from command amid an investigation into whether his comments ...
Aviator, Missileer Cancer Rates Get Renewed Attention on Capitol Hill
Congressional lawmakers are pushing for more insight into the disproportionate rate of cancer diagnoses among military aviators as attention to the problem mounts in Washington and beyond.
A Budget Season Like No Other
By the time the 2026 defense budget request arrived on Capitol Hill in June, Congress was closing in on passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, a massive tax-and-spending bill that included some $150 billion for defense. The budget reconciliation measure narrowly passed the ...
Air Force Investigating Airman’s Death at Nuclear Missile Base
A security forces Airman died early July 20 while on duty at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., the 90th Missile Wing said in a brief release.
