Caitlin Kenny is a staff reporter at Defense One specializing in U.S. military policy, international security threats, and defense strategy. With a career spanning embedded reporting and Pentagon correspondence, she brings granular operational knowledge to complex policy debates.
Her reporting combines policy depth with ground-level insights, making her work essential reading for defense professionals navigating today’s security challenges.
Caitlin Kenny has established herself as a meticulous defense journalist with a focus on U.S. military strategy, policy, and international security dynamics. Her work at Defense One combines deep analytical rigor with an ability to translate complex military operations into accessible narratives for policymakers and the public alike.
Kenny’s career began with hands-on military reporting, including embedding with the 3rd Infantry Division during deployments in Poland and Gabon. This foundational experience shaped her understanding of ground-level military operations, which she later leveraged at Stars and Stripes as a Pentagon reporter. Her transition to Defense One in 2023 marked a shift toward high-stakes policy analysis, where she now covers service branch priorities, international coups, and emerging threats.
This exclusive interview with Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger provided the first detailed roadmap for the Corps’ post-2023 strategic shifts, emphasizing personnel retention and organic mobility. Kenny’s analysis highlighted the tension between legacy systems and next-gen warfare needs, citing Berger’s push for lighter amphibious vehicles and distributed operations. The piece became a benchmark for discussions on Marine Corps modernization during congressional budget hearings.
Kenny broke the story of the U.S. government’s delayed recognition of Niger’s coup, revealing internal debates about counterterrorism partnerships in the Sahel. By cross-referencing State Department memos with AFRICOM operational records, she demonstrated how geopolitical pragmatism often clashes with democratic principles in foreign policy. This reporting influenced Senate Foreign Relations Committee inquiries into security aid oversight.
Kenny’s investigation into the U.S. shootdown of a NATO ally’s drone over Syria exposed fragile coalition dynamics in conflict zones. She obtained rare on-the-record comments from CENTCOM officials explaining the rules of engagement calculus, while contextualizing the incident within broader Turkey-U.S. tensions. The article prompted NATO to review its airspace coordination protocols.
Kenny consistently explores how service branch priorities adapt to geopolitical shifts, as seen in her Niger coup analysis. Pitches should connect defense policy changes to specific regional security challenges, particularly in Africa or the Indo-Pacific. For example, proposals about Marine Corps deployments in Southeast Asia could mirror her coverage of force posture adjustments.
Her Marine Corps modernization piece exemplifies this focus. Successful pitches might address how recruitment strategies or veteran transition programs align with broader military reforms, especially those involving mental health or family support systems.
The Turkish drone incident coverage shows Kenny’s interest in alliance friction points. Sources with direct experience in NATO or coalition command structures, particularly regarding technology interoperability or rules of engagement, would align with her reporting patterns.
While specific awards aren’t publicly listed, Kenny’s work has been recognized through:
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