Thomas Novelly

Thomas Novelly is a reporter for Military.com focusing on coverage of the Air Force and Space Force. He previously covered veterans, military bases and federal politics in South Carolina for The Post and Courier, where he was part of the reporting team for “Rising Waters,” a project that examined climate-driven flooding and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Prior to that, he was a breaking news reporter for the Courier Journal in Kentucky, where he received a Louisville Society of Professional Journalists award for Best Breaking News Story.

He lives in Washington D.C.

Email: Thomas.Novelly@military.com

Latest Articles

President-elect Trump and Elon Musk at a SpaceX Starship rocket launch

As Space Force Marks 5-Year Anniversary, Republicans and Trump Aim to Take it Higher

In a month, the president who created the Space Force will be back in the White House, and one of the service's biggest...

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B takes off from the a USS Boxer

Ospreys Cleared to Fly Again, But Problematic Gearbox Gets More Scrutiny

The Navy office that oversees the military's use of the V-22 Osprey is allowing the services to resume flying the aircraft...

F-16C Fighting Falcon stands ready in the early morning hours

DC Air National Guard Will Lose Fighter Jet Squadron to Maryland as Part of Government Funding Deal

The transfer of the fighter squadron comes after it appeared earlier this year that Maryland would be left as the only state...

Graduation at the Air Force Academy, Colorado

The Air Force's Faltering Effort to Get More Diversity Among Officers May Be Out of Time

The diversity targets set in 2022 marked the first time in nearly a decade that the service had amended the benchmarks for...

Drone operator helps to retrieve a drone over Hart Island in New York

Pentagon Officials, Aviation Experts Say Many Alleged Drone Sightings Are Being Misidentified

The sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere, which so far remained unconfirmed, have triggered widespread concern and demands...

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron ‘Thunderbirds’ perform at the California Capital Air Show in Mather, Calif.

Do Air Shows Really Help Military Readiness and Recruiting? Congress Plans to Find Out.

Lawmakers want the secretary of defense to brief Congress on how sending military aircraft to air shows affects recruiting...

(Photo by Airman 1st Class Shelby Kay-Fantozzi)

Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve

Transgender troops' right to serve -- perhaps even to fight and die for a nation they volunteered to defend -- has been...

Vandenberg Air Force Base is renamed Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Chinese Citizen Arrested After Allegedly Flying Drone, Taking Photos of Space Force Base

Federal investigators arrested a 39-year-old man this week after accusing him of flying a drone and taking pictures of...

A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron flies during a training exercise over the plains of New Mexico.

Air Force Osprey Parts Failure Triggers Another Military-Wide Flight Pause for Troubled Aircraft

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have all paused Osprey operations following another parts failure, this time with the...

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi greets airmen preparing to depart for Exercise Agile Reaper at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Congress Shaves Beard Pilot Program for Air Force, Space Force from Must-Pass Defense Legislation

Congress has decided to pass on ordering the Department of the Air Force to establish a pilot program examining whether...

Airmen from the 138th Space Control Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Air National Guard, load equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster courtesy 183rd Airlift Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, prior to departing for temporary duty in Washington, D.C.

Air National Guard Units Set to Transfer to Space Force Under Defense Bill Despite States' Opposition

Nearly 600 Air National Guardsmen who focus on space missions would be transferred to the Space Force against the wishes of...

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing prepares to land for a hot-pit refuel at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.

Hundreds of Airmen Will Move from South Dakota Base to North Dakota Starting This Month

Hundreds of airmen and a fleet of B-1B Lancer bombers will be temporarily relocating from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South...

The official U.S. Space Forces-Japan flag is unveiled during the activation and assumption of command ceremony at Yokota Air Base, Japan

Space Force's New Component in Japan to Bolster Ally Defenses Amid Rising Threats

Space Force officials announced the creation of a new service component in Japan, as America's ally expands its own space...

Col. Christopher Meeker, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, delivers closing remarks

Former Air Force Commander at Wright-Patterson Charged with Adultery, Faces Court-Martial

A former commander at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, will face a court-martial for adultery and...

U.S. Air Force airmen step onto the flightline to catch a flight at Beale Air Force Base, California.

Air Force's New Deployment Model Sparks Criticism, Staffing Concerns at Bases

Some Air Force officials are concerned by the service's innovative deployment model, a new government watchdog report...

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

Weeks before his retirement, Marine Col. Aaron Cunningham, left, and his wife, Jennifer, joined their only son, Mason, this summer when he was commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant.

They Fought in Iraq’s Bloodiest Battle. Will Their Kids Be the Next Generation of Marines?

No matter the profession, parents and children in both civilian and military families must navigate delicate decisions about...

14.5% Junior Enlisted Pay Raise, Restriction on Care for Transgender Military Kids Headed to Biden's Desk

The 4.5% raise will be added to all service members' paychecks at the beginning of January, while the remaining 10% extra for...

Harriotte B. Smith Library at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

Troop Pay Could Be Delayed Under Elon Musk-Inspired Government Shutdown

The potential loss of pay in the midst of the holiday season was looming Thursday after plans negotiated by Republicans and...

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division receive the Army Commendation Medal.

Army Set to Debut Master Combat Badges in Spring, Memo Says

The Army is set to begin awarding Master Combat Badges, which will combine expert and traditional combat badges, next spring...

Handcuffs lay on a table at Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Police Say Marine Charged with Escort's Murder Googled Whether It's Possible to Scream While Being Strangled

In what a local official called a "chilling" case, an active-duty Marine stationed in Florida was arrested and charged with...

Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans

When Ed Meagher reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, he was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two...

Latest Military Videos

Trump Claims Government Knows What Drones Are

In a far-ranging interview news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said the U.S. government "knows what is happening" with the...

Russian Forces Seen Withdrawing Toward Northern Syrian City of Tartus

A lengthy convoy of Russian military vehicles were seen withdrawing from Latakia toward the Syrian city of Tartus on...

Schumer Calls on US Agencies to Use Advanced Technology to Identify Mysterious Drones

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S...

Mother of American Found in Syria: 'We All Want You Home'

An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system said he...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

U.S. Army soldiers conduct a tactical movement in Northeast Syria

Pentagon Reveals 2,000 US Troops Are in Syria – More than Double What Was Previously Reported

In a surprise announcement, the Pentagon revealed that it has not been offering an accurate count of how many U.S. troops it...

Drone Sightings? Alabama’s Own Radar Mystery Led to Conspiracy Theories, Military Rumors

This one didn’t involve buzzing drones but rather a mysterious blob that first appeared on radar followed by scattered debris...

Navy News

Ospreys Cleared to Fly Again, But Problematic Gearbox Gets More Scrutiny

The Navy office that oversees the military's use of the V-22 Osprey is allowing the services to resume flying the aircraft...

'Warfare,' from writer, director and Navy SEAL veteran Ray Mendoza, is in theaters in 2025. (A24)

‘Warfare': A Real-Time Iraq War Combat Film from a Navy SEAL and the Director of 'Civil War'

Scheduled for release in 2025, "Warfare" follows a team of SEALs holed up in an Iraqi home, following their action in real...

Air Force News

NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs

Is the NORAD Santa Tracker Safe from a Government Shutdown?

NORAD's annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War, predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics.

A sign at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Air Force Tears Down Historic Wright-Patterson House After $1.2M Renovation

A little over a decade after the Air Force spent some $1.2 million to renovate a former officer's home on Wright-Patterson...

Space Force News

As Space Force Marks 5-Year Anniversary, Republicans and Trump Aim to Take it Higher

In a month, the president who created the Space Force will be back in the White House, and one of the service's biggest...

Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Moore, senior enlisted leader, 138th Space Control Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Air National Guard, secures equipment aboard a C-17 Globemaster.

Senate OKs Move of Space-Focused National Guard Units. Colorado Governor Says Air Force Wouldn't Negotiate.

The Senate approved the annual defense bill Wednesday that moves National Guard units into the active-duty Space Force after...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine reenlists during a ceremony on Camp Courtney, Okinawa

How the Marine Corps Is Changing to Keep Talented Marines in the Service

For decades, the Marine Corps incurred a "remarkably high turnover rate" among its first-term Marines as it prioritized, and...

This 2023 age-progressed photo, released by the FBI Washington Field Office, shows what Austin Tice may look like in his 40s. Tice disappeared at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus, Syria, in August 2012.

Mystery Surrounding Abducted Marine Veteran Austin Tice Enters New Chapter with Syrian Manhunt

The search for missing Marine Corps veteran Austin Tice that stumped the U.S. government for 12 years has entered a new...

Coast Guard News

The SS United States is docked at Pier 82 in Philadelphia.

Coast Guard Halts Departure of Historic Ocean Liner Destined to Become a Giant Artificial Reef

The historic ocean liner the SS United States appears to be staying at a Philadelphia dock for now after the U.S. Coast Guard...

The crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball’s 35-foot, long-range interceptor small boat prepares to conduct a joint search-and-rescue exercise in Kagoshima Bay, Japan, with a Japan Coast Guard AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter aircrew.

US Coast Guard to Participate in First-Ever Drill in Tokyo Bay

The coast guards of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are to conduct their first four-country drill at the Port...