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

Capt. Ryan Lewis talks to Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Jones and @twitch.tv shout caster James “jchensor” Chen during the Army Entertainment Esports Street Fighter V tournament 11 August 2018, at the Alternate Escapes Café at Fort Gordon, Georgia. (U.S. Army 2nd Recruiting Brigade)

Thousands of Soldiers Sign Up to Game on Army Esports Team

Recruiting officials are screening more than 4,000 applications f who hope to be chosen to play video games for the Army.

Worldwide Equipment Identification Cards, released by Army Training and Doctrine Command, helps Soldiers recognize and remember potential adversary vehicles and weapons. (U.S. Army/Gary Sheftick)

The Army Is Using Playing Cards to Train Soldiers on Enemy Weapons

Each deck includes the nomenclature and performance stats of primary weapons systems soldiers may face in combat.

The U.S. Army debuted its Esports gaming trailer at the Salt Lake Gaming Con in Salt Lake City.

Army Denies Violating 1st Amendment in Esports Recruiting, Sponsoring Fake Giveaways

The Army has temporarily stopped its esports team from streaming on Twitch while it reviews its policies.

Inside the Army Esports trailer (Facebook photo)

Army Unbans Hundreds of Gamers as It Resumes Streaming on Twitch

The Army esports team will resume gaming on Twitch after taking a five-week pause.

Wearable Health Monitors Could Lead to Mentally Tougher Troops, Experts Say

The U.S. Army is conducting several studies designed to use wearable devices.

A Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) equipped with a box-style launcher holding two Hellfire Missiles and a .50 caliber machine gun to make a mine-hunting mission package. Textron Systems displayed the proof-of-concept, surface-warfare mission package Modern Day Marine 2019. (Matthew Cox/Military.com)

Textron Shows Off Mine-Hunting Drone Boat Armed with Hellfire Missiles

Textron Systems is working with the Navy to turn a mine-sweeping unmanned surface vessel into a mine-hunting craft.

The Air Force is adopting the Army's Operational Camouflage Pattern for its new combat uniform and began incrementally phasing it in Oct. 1. The Air Force will differentiate itself by using a "spice brown color" for velcro patches, name tape and insignia. Air Force photo

Exchange to Airmen: Don't Buy New OCP Uniforms from Unauthorized Dealers

Air Force Personnel looking to buy their OCP uniforms should only purchase them at Army & Air Force Exchange Service stores.

American tanks and soldiers take part in a yearly military parade marking the Polish Army Day, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Army Growth May Not Keep Pace with Deployments: General

Even as the Army prepares to grow, Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson still worries about units not having enough time between...

A mural for Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen in Austin, Texas.

Army Disciplines 13 Leaders, Confirms Murdered Soldier Vanessa Guillen Was Sexually Harassed

The report found that Guillen twice tried to report that she had been sexually harassed, but leaders failed to take...

AN/PRC 148 2-channel Leader radio to transmit position location.

Army Light Infantry, Stryker and Armored Forces Are Getting This Advanced Comms Gear

Fielding a more robust tactical network that can stand against enemy cyber and EW attacks is one of the Army's top...

Army simulated real world injury and simulated real world MEDEVAC

Army Wants New Medical Gel that Seals Off Hemorrhaging Wounds on the Battlefield

The Army Research Laboratory is providing technical oversight on a new hemostatic gel known as StatBond.

The Army has adjusted its ponytail policy.

Army Allows Female Soldiers to Wear Long Ponytails in All Uniforms

Initially, female soldiers could wear long ponytails only while conducting fitness training and during field training.

Section of the poster for “The Calling.”

Army Embraces Anime in New Recruiting Campaign

"The Calling" is a series of short videos being aired on YouTube focused on five soldiers from difficult backgrounds.

Retired Col. Ralph Puckett Jr visits U.S. Army Rangers.

Army Ranger Legend to Receive Medal of Honor at 94

President Biden will upgrade Ralph Puckett's Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor.

Sig Sauer officials test fire the auto rifle prototype of their NGSW prototype.

New Video Teases Sig Sauer Prototypes for Army's Next Gen-Weapons Effort

The video comes as Sig and its two competitors wait for the Army to complete the final phase of testing.

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

the seal affixed to the front of the Veterans Affairs Department building

VA Plans Outreach to Screen 3 Million More Veterans for Toxic Exposures

The PACT Act requires the VA to attempt to screen all veterans enrolled in VA health care; to date, 4.8 million veterans have...

DoDEA America's Chief of Staff Arrested in Human Trafficking Sting Operation in Georgia

Stephen Hovanic, 64, of Sharpsburg, Georgia, was arrested Nov. 15 in a sting that netted 25 additional suspects on charges...

Pentagon's AI Initiatives Accelerate Hard Decisions on Lethal Autonomous Weapons

The Pentagon is intent on fielding multiple thousands of relatively inexpensive, expendable AI-enabled autonomous vehicles by...

Marines in Dress Blues Who Brawled with Civilians in Texas Bar District Not Facing Punishment

Video posted on YouTube shows a confrontation that quickly escalated between a group of men and the uniformed Marines among...

President Donald Trump watches the first half of the 121st Army-Navy Football Game

Trump Hints at Expanded Role for the Military Within the US. A Legacy Law Gives Him Few Guardrails

Experts in constitutional law and the military say the Insurrection Act gives presidents tremendous power with few restraints...

Military spouses networking with prospective employers at the MilSpo Career Expo at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Texas Tried to Block an Air Force Spouse's Occupational License. She Sued and Won, Setting a Legal Precedent.

A federal judge in Texas ruled that the Texas Education Agency violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

Latest Military Videos

Houthi Rebel Video Said to Show Hijacking of Israeli-Linked Ship in the Red Sea

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels released a video on Monday said to show their forces seizing an Israeli-linked cargo ship...

State Dept.: Another 6 Americans Died Since the Oct. 7 Hamas Attack in Israel

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says six Americans have died since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel. (Nov...

Drone Video Shows Scale of Destruction in Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip

Bombardments struck the densely packed Nuseirat camp south of the Israeli military’s combat zone on Monday and Tuesday, killing...

Smoke Plumes Rise over Gaza as Israel-Hamas War Continues

Smoke billowed into the Gaza skyline and filled the air on Tuesday as the Israel-Hamas war continues. (Nov. 21)...

Investigations and Features

What the Pentagon Has, Hasn't and Could Do to Stop Veterans and Troops from Joining Extremist Groups

The military and its transition programs have largely failed to provide what experts say is necessary to steer troops and...

Poisoned Water: How a Navy Ship Dumped Fuel and Sickened Its Own Crew

A years-long investigation reveals that the Boxer unintentionally compromised its own water supply in 2016.

Army News

Thanksgiving feast for 10th Mountain Division soldiers at Fort Drum

Camaraderie and Competitive Spirit at Thanksgiving Meal on Fort Drum

On a day when thousands of Fort Drum soldiers packed into four dining facilities for a Thanksgiving-themed lunch, the...

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin flips the coin before the 2021 Army-Navy football game in East Rutherford, N.J.

Army-Navy 2023: Mids' Uniforms for 'America's Game' Will Honor US Submarine Force

The U.S. submarine force will be recognized during the 124th edition of the Army-Navy Game, being played Dec. 9 at the home...

Navy News

Navy P-8A plane that overshot a runway at Marine Corps Base Hawaii and landed in shallow water offshore

US Navy Removes Fuel from Plane that Overshot Hawaii Runway and Is Now Resting on a Reef and Sand

The U.S. Navy says it has removed nearly all of the fuel from a plane that overshot a Hawaii runway and landed in an...

Navy Sailors try to retrieve the flight recorder from a downed P-8A Poseidon

Navy Plane Still Resting in Shoal of Kaneohe Bay

The lack of public information over the botched landing and its environmental impact on Kaneohe Bay and the ocean has...

Air Force News

Laser pointed at an HH-60 Pave Hawk in safety demonstration

As Laser Pointer Incidents Spike, Airmen Are Getting Updated Eyewear That Provides Better Protection

The  Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Human Systems Division is starting to field new, upgraded eyewear that can...

Heavy fog covers a sign at the front of the entrance at Minot Air Force Base.

3 Airman Deaths at Minot Air Force Base in October Have Left the Community Reeling

Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota is dealing with the deaths of three airmen last month, causing an outcry from community...

Space Force News

Space Force Reports 2 Suicides This Year, Marking the First in the Service's Short History

Until this year, the relatively tiny and new Space Force had been an outlier among the other services as they have struggled...

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to reporters in the Capitol building on Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Tommy Tuberville Is Just the Face of a 'Broken' Confirmation Process, Critics Say

Anger over Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade of high-ranking military promotions may have hit a boiling point as a handful of...

Marine Corps News

No One Was Injured when a US Navy Plane Landed in a Hawaii Bay, but Some Fear Environmental Damage

Concerns about environmental damage are looming a day after a large U.S. Navy plane overshot a runway and landed in a Hawaii...

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith addresses attendees at the 40th Beirut Memorial Observance Ceremony at Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

'I'm Still in the Fight’: Top Marine General Makes First Video Appearance Since Cardiac Arrest

In a video address to Marines posted on Instagram, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith assured them that he is...

Coast Guard News