Biography

“You can never truly understand a conflict until you’ve been on both sides.”

Cohen’s mother is a renowned Jewish political activist and professor while her Palestinian father is a professor of Middle Eastern Studies. Cohen was raised in Israel, excelling in Mathematics and Physics. She earned a degree in Structural Engineering at Tel Aviv University and spent a few semesters at Boston University.

Cohen then enlisted in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). After undergoing the rigorous twenty-two month training for the elite Air Force unit, Shaldag, she served five years. Skilled in ground and airborne operations, all-weather and all-terrain navigation and reconnaissance, she was invaluable in Operation Orchard. Moving to the US to work with FBI SWAT, Cohen applied her degree in Engineering and gift in structural resistance to develop advanced demolition tactics and equipment. Along with Hebrew, Cohen is fluent in Arabic, English, French and Greek.

Psychological report

I had several meetings with Specialist Eliza “Ash” Cohen before I gave up on convincing her to not see me as a commanding officer. She asked so many probing questions, it was starting to feel as though she were analyzing me. […]

Cohen isn’t interested in discussing her childhood. There’s resentment toward a judgmental grandmother, but no lasting trauma. Military service acted as an escape from family tensions and appealed to her ordered and focused personality. Cohen added that she appreciates high-risk, high-reward scenarios, but didn’t elaborate on what level of personal risk is acceptable.

Her identity is intertwined with her military training and operations. Extracting anything personal from the tangle is difficult. Cohen is cautious and doesn’t cultivate many close relationships. Her bond with Specialist Miles “Castle” Campbell is therefore important to her – and I would say to the team as well. It’s certainly a good pairing. Campbell’s amenable personality enables Cohen to step out of her comfort zone without feeling self-conscious or judged. […]

Cohen uses other people’s assessments to describe herself: She told me that Specialists Dominic “Bandit” Brunsmeier and James “Smoke” Porter tell her she’s “too serious,” while others describe her as “intense,” and that she enjoys being proven right. So I asked if she thought those descriptions were accurate. She told me that she only cares about whether the other operators respect her. I’m confident they do. […]

On operations, Cohen is exemplary: She thinks fast, and her aggressive style almost always puts her at an advantage. During debriefs, however, I’ve noticed a different kind of focus. The residual stress of combat causes her to dwell on every misstep, perceived or real. Self-evaluation is understandable from someone so highly skilled, but it also has an effect on her team. It’s important to encourage her to process the events as a joint effort and not simply assume the critique alone. Cohen – like all operators – knows there will be situations she can’t prepare for. And yet, she alone allows the stress of the unknown to eat at her. This will need to be addressed.

-- Dr. Harishva “Harry” Pandey, Director of Rainbow