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

U.S. Army Rangers fire the Counter Defilade Target Engagement System.

Army's Precision Grenadier Program Is About to Face Its First Real Test

Army Futures Command will soon decide whether weapons officials will get another shot at equipping infantry squads with a...

Army 1st Cavalry Division Brigade Commander Fired for Allegedly Bullying His Subordinates

Acting 1st Cavalry Division commander Brig. Gen. Brett Sylvia relieved Col. Michael Schoenfeldt of his command Thursday.

Deadlier, More Destructive Sniper Bullets Are High on Army's Wish List

The Army just picked a new, multi-caliber sniper rifle. Now, it wants a new class of ammunition to make snipers deadlier and...

Army Wants to Replace the Cold War-Era TOW Missile with a New Longer-Range Tank Killer

Army maneuver officials want to replace the TOW missile with an advanced projectile that can kill enemy tanks at more than...

Members of the Frederick Police Department Special Response Team Fort Detrick

Officials ID Navy Corpsman Who Shot 2 Sailors Before Being Killed by Police

Petty Officer 3rd Class Fantahun Girma Woldesenbet shot two Navy sailors with a rifle at Riverside Technology Park in...

Air Force Global Strike Command commander speaks

Service Chiefs Confer After Air Force General Calls Army Hypersonic Missile Plan 'Stupid'

An Air Force general's swipe at the Army's plans for long-range precision strike missiles in the Pacific led to top leaders...

Female Cadet Sets New Record for West Point's Punishing Obstacle Course

A female cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point set a record on the grueling obstacle course standing between every...

Optional awards and decorations on Army Green Service Uniform.

Soldiers Can Now Wear Awards on Class B Version of New Army Green Uniform

The service sent an All Army Activities message to the force detailing new guidelines for the Class B variation of the World...

Marine fires M27 infantry automatic rifle Setermoen, Norway

Trigger Finger Mittens on Marine Corps Cold Weather 'Snivel Gear' Wish List

This search for better cold weather clothing comes at a time when the U.S. military is intensifying its focus on the Arctic.

Paratroopers engage targets with bolt-action M2010 enhanced sniper rifles.

Army Awards $50 Million Contract for New Special Operations Sniper Rifle

The five-year contract with Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc. will buy 2,800 MK22 Multi-role Adaptive Design, or MRAD...

Sikorsky’s S-70 Black Hawk equipped with Matrix autonomous flight software.

Army's Pilotless Black Hawk Highlights Emerging Technology in Demo Flight

Sikorsky pilots working with Army scientists have demonstrated optionally piloted flight technology on an S-70 Black Hawk.

Marines wpatrol during Exercise Talisman Saber 17.

Army Not Trying to Muscle In on Marine Corps' Mission in the Pacific, General Says

"We are the largest ground force, so if there is a fight on land, we will be the one to participate in that," Gen. Paul...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. addresses students

These 4-Stars Want to Help Commanders Avoid Information Overload in the Next War

The real challenge facing commanders in the next war will be sorting through the overflow of information coming at them.

Matthew Cox took the Army’s new combat fitness test (ACFT) at Ft. Myer

At 53, I Took the Tough New Army Combat Fitness Test. Here's How It Turned Out

For 23 days, I slogged through a journey that pulled my body from a lifestyle of daily walks and gin martinis into a regimen...

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.

Army Taps Fort Bliss Unit for Deployment to Korea

The Army announced that 1st Armored Division soldiers from Fort Bliss, Texas will deploy to Korea this summer.

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

Handcuffs rest on a table inside the security forces building during a training exercise

Tennessee Man Shot Dead After Flipping Middle Finger at War Memorial

Albert Sturgill Jr., 63, was confronted by a group while gesturing at the flag and monuments at Cumberland County Veterans...

U.S. soldiers with the West Virginia National Guard conduct a routine patrol at the Stadium-Armory Metro Station in Washington, D.C.

Chicago Braces for Potential National Guard Deployment Amid Trump Threats

Illinois politicians are sounding an alarm and bracing for possible National Guard deployments to Chicago amid President...

After Sept. 11, 2001, this is what the NEADS operation floor looked like. Above the Q-93 (the large green radar scope) is the NORAD contingency suite that was installed immediately after 9/11 to provide radar data of the entire country. Photo courtesy of Master Sgt. Stacia Rountree, Eastern Air Defense Sector

9/11 Air Defense Stories You Might Not Know

As hijacked planes turned into weapons on September 11, 2001, inside a quiet Air National Guard facility in upstate New York...

California National Guard stand guard as protesters gather during the No Kings protests in Los Angeles.

Is Trump's Troop Buildup in US Cities a Declaration of War — or Something Else?

As President Donald Trump goads Democratic-led cities, Americans are grappling with a fundamental question of American...

Rep. Ronny Jackson during the 2024 Republican National Convention

Navy Demotion Reversed for GOP Congressman Who Government Watchdog Found Abused Subordinates

Jackson was quietly demoted to captain in 2022, three years after his retirement from the Navy, following an inspector...

Soldier Dies on Fort Leonard Wood Rifle Range

The Army identified the 18-year-old on Monday but has not provided details into the circumstances of his death.

Latest Military Videos

TRX Wide Row

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for a TRX wide row. (Sept. 16) Military.com

TRX Suspended Lunge

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for a TRX suspended lunge. (Sept. 16) Military.com

TRX Row

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for a TRX row. (Sept. 16) Military.com

TRX Triceps Extension

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for a TRX triceps extension. (Sept. 16) Military.com

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

UH, Army sign environmental agreement

The University of Hawaii signed a new agreement with the Army on Tuesday to expand its environmental support services.

US Army reveals Typhon missile system in Japan as tensions rise with China

The U.S. Army has revealed its mid-range missile system, Typhon, at one of its bases in Japan for the first time

Navy News

Vice Adm. Timothy 'TJ' White, commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F), speaks at the retirement ceremony of Command Master Chief Dee Allen, command master chief of FCC/C10F, on Fort Meade, Maryland.

Texas Governor Names Former Chief of Federal Cyber Command to Run New Unit at Home

The Texas Cyber Command, created by lawmakers earlier this year, will be led by Timothy James “TJ” White – a retired U.S...

Retired 4-Star Navy Admiral Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Bribery Plot

Retired Adm. Robert P. Burke, once the second-highest uniformed officer in the Navy, was commanding its forces in Europe and...

Air Force News

Senate Democrat Tries to Formally Condemn Funeral Honors for Ashli Babbitt

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., went to the Senate floor to request what’s known as “unanimous consent” to pass a resolution...

Pilots of military training planes prepare for future competition

Air Race Championship Takes Flight in New Mexico's Roswell

The National Championship Air Races are kicking off in New Mexico for the first time in the competition's 60-year history.

Space Force News

Col. Edward Segura, director of manpower, personnel and services, Air Force Reserve Command, speaks

Space Force Opens Applications for Air Force Reservists to Sign Up for Part-Time Service

Applications have opened for certain Air Force reservists to join the Space Force under its new one-of-a-kind, part-time...

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle discusses the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal

US Space Command Can Be Running in Huntsville Before Trump Leaves Office, Official Says

U.S. Space Command headquarters can be fully operational before President Donald Trump leaves office, a Redstone Arsenal...

Marine Corps News

Marines want to close the airspace over this public, recreational off-road land for 60 days out of the year on September 11, 2025 in Johnson Valley, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Pentagon Plan Pits US Marines Against California Off-Roaders and Civilian Pilots

The U.S. Marine Corps tried once to occupy this remote stretch of California desert beloved by off-roaders — but officials...

Student Lt. Andrew Seepe poses next to a T-45 Goshawk, a jet trainer aircraft, during filming of National Geographic's 'Top Guns: The Next Generation.'

‘Top Guns: The Next Generation’ Shows the Successes and Struggles of Aspiring Fighter Pilots

A core group of eight aspiring Navy and Marine Corps pilots are featured in the six-part National Geographic docuseries "Top...

Coast Guard News

Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, delivers keynote remarks at the 36th annual international Military Law and Operations strategic engagement to leaders from more than 30 nations during a 4-day discussion in Honolulu.

Military Conference in Hawaii Tackles International Law

At U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s annual International Military Law and Operations Conference, the military’s top officer in the...

A retail services specialist 3rd class, assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) supply department, conducts a command fitness class in the hangar bay.

Fitness at Sea: Workouts You Can Do on a Ship and Ace the Navy Fitness Test

Staying fit in tight spaces with little to no equipment is always a challenge, whether you are in a hotel room or living and...