Matthew Cox

Matthew Cox has been a defense reporter since 1998. During his time with Military.com he covered all the services, with a close eye on Army weapons development and procurement, body armor testing, camouflage, ammunition as well as readiness and training issues. He previously worked for 12 years for Army Times. He traveled to Afghanistan and Iraq numerous times from 2002 to 2008, covering Stryker and light infantry units in combat. He also spent four years in the U.S. Army during the second half of the 1980s, serving as an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Latest Articles

Army Wants to Spot-Promote Officers Moved into Hard-to-Fill Jobs

Congress granted the Army authority to move lower-ranking officers into critical unit positions as part of the 2019 NDAA.

A precision strike missile was fired on April 30, 2020, at White Sands Missile Range

Army Wants Missile to Kill Enemy Targets Beyond 900 Miles

The surface-to-surface missile that the Army wants could be positioned in areas in the Pacific islands to deter China.

5th Security Force Assistance Brigade at Camp Thanarat, Thailand.

The Army Is Reorganizing Its SFAB Units to Deploy Globally

The Army created six SFABS to serve as special advisory units to train and advise foreign partner armies.

National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin

Army Focus on Combat Training Center Rotations 'Unsustainable,' General Says

The Army's new "action plan" will reevaluate the training that units are required to endure prior to their CTC rotation.

A U.S. Army UH-72A Lakota helicopter over Washington D.C., January 18, 2017.

Army Probe into Helicopters Buzzing DC Protesters Now Under Pentagon Review

The senior leadership authorized the Guard to use helicopters to "observe and report" on demonstrations, officials have said.

Textron Systems Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle variant. (Matthew Cox/Military.com)

The Army Is About to Get Improved Next Gen-Squad Weapons for Testing

Textron Systems has a new batch of Next Generation Squad Weapon prototypes, featuring improvements from soldier tests.

New Army recruits recite the Oath of Enlistment.

Army Beats 2020 End Strength Goal Despite Major Recruiting Roadblocks

Despite grim predictions early in the pandemic, the Army is finishing ahead of its 485,000-soldier end strength target.

Hometown recruiter at the Zaragoza Recruiting Station in El Paso.

Army Wants More Female Recruiters and Women Leading Combat Units

Army Recruiting Command has seen a "huge benefit" from female recruiters and their ability to connect with female applicants.

A team made up of Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and FLIR Systems, Inc. is debuting the new Ripsaw M5 unmanned vehicle it intends to offer for the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle effort at the 2019 Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting. (Courtesy Textron)

This All-Electric Robotic Combat Vehicle May Accompany Army Units into Battle

Textron announced it will deliver an all-electric version of its M5 Ripsaw Robotic Combat Vehicle for experimentation.

Soldiers participating in a live fire event.

Army Forced to Treat COVID-19 Infections Like Combat Casualties as Training Resumes

Army combat leaders are finding that coronavirus infections affect units the same way as battlefield casualties.

Soldiers track an unmanned aerial systems threat as part of Black Dart 18.

To Launch Deadly-Fast Precision Fire, Army Will Need to Turn Soldiers into Coders

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the service will need to man its units with software coding experts.

Leg Tuck portion of the Army Combat Fitness Test.

Soldiers Won't Have to Pass Army Combat Fitness Test to Graduate Initial Training

The COVID-19 outbreak forced Army leaders to pause all fitness testing in late March to prevent the spread of the virus.

General Dynamics Land Systems' Advanced Ground Mobility Vehicle sits on display at the Renewable Energy Rodeo and Symposium held in and around the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center at Fort Bliss, Texas, June 8, 2010. (U.S. Army/Stephen Baack)

Army Launches Research Effort to Develop Hybrid-Electric Engines for Vehicles, Aircraft

U.S. Army researchers have selected the University of Wisconsin to lead an effort to develop hybrid-electric engines.

The Iron Dome air-defense system fires to intercept a rocket over the city of Ashdod, Israel.

Army Gets First Iron Dome Battery from Israel

The system's future is still uncertain, as the service still isn't sure whether the technology will mesh with its own.

In Major Shift, Army to Shut Down Asymmetric Warfare Group and Rapid Equipping Force

The U.S. Army announced that it is shutting down two of the specialized organizations it stood up after the 9/11 attacks.

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