Pentagon reporter Tara Copp broke news about a new Pentagon study that found high cancer rates not only among pilots, but also among ground crew who take care of military aircraft. Copp has kept a close eye on reports of high cancer rates among military families. In recent months, she broke news on high cancer rates among those who work in nuclear missile silos.
Last week she had another big scoop: A long-awaited in-depth study examining cancer rates among air crews was finally released. And the findings were alarming. While much attention has been paid to cancer cases among service personnel exposed to burn pits, this study found high rates among young fighter pilots, navigators and weapons officers aboard military planes. And more surprisingly, the rates were high among ground personnel — often younger, enlisted service members who fuel, maintained and armed those jets.