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 Soldiers provide security around a local town at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin,

Army Takes First Step Toward Equipping Tactical, Combat Vehicles with Electric Engines

Fort Benning officials are planning for a virtual Electrification Industry Day on Oct. 20.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Wertenberger prepares his fire team to fire the M119A3 Howitzer at Fort Campbell.

Army’s New Target Tracking System Aims to Quicken Artillery Kills

Test teams of soldiers will attempt to reduce the time it takes to see and hit targets to less than 20 seconds.

A drill sergeant watches over Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson.

No More Drill Sergeant 'Shark Attack': Army Moves Toward Kinder Basic Training Start

The Army began creating this new approach to the beginning of BCT during the spring.

Marine Corps annual rifle qualification (ARQ) Camp Lejeune

Marines’ Rifle Qualification Overhaul May Mean Fewer Expert Badges

The Marine Corps marksmanship community drafted the new ARQ course of fire in October 2018.

A Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano A-29 experimental aircraft flies over White Sands Missile Range, Aug. 1, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ethan D. Wagner)

Special Ops Plan to Buy New Light-Attack Fleet May Get Pushed Back

The commander of AFSOC hasn't given up on buying aircraft for close-air support and precision strike.

Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircraft completes the maiden flight

Futuristic V-280 Not Advanced Enough to Replace the Osprey: AFSOC Commander

Army modernization officials are evaluating two experimental aircraft under FVL for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.

'Enough Is Enough:' Lawmakers Push for Drastic Changes After Vanessa Guillen Murder

Reps. Jackie Speier and Markwayne Mullin held a press conference on Capitol Hill to introduce the "I am Vanessa Guillen Act."

Soldier Shot After Allegedly Threatening Fort Bliss MPs with Handgun

Agents with the Army Criminal Investigation Command have recovered the soldier's handgun and are investigating the shooting.

F-16 pilots from the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, walk toward the terminal at Amari Air Base, Estonia, Jan. 14, 2018. (DoD photo by MC3 Cody Hendrix)

Air Guard Will Fall Short of Recruiting Goal Despite Virtual Initiatives

The Air National Guard will fall short of meeting its authorized strength of 107,700 airmen, Lt. Gen. Michael Loh said.

President Trump presents Sgt. Maj. Thomas "Patrick" Payne with the Medal of Honor

Soldier Awarded Medal of Honor on Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks That Inspired Him to Fight

Sgt. Maj. Thomas "Patrick" Payne is the first living member of Delta Force to receive the nation's highest award for valor.

A Special Tactics Airman with the 17th Special Tactics Squadron fires an M4 carbine during Jaded Thunder

This Air Force Unit Has Been Fighting Alongside Army Rangers Since 9/11

"We fight, bleed and laugh beside [the Rangers]. We win as a team or fail as a team."

Paratrooper Killed on Training Jump Was 20-Year-Old PFC

Pfc. Jean Cruz De Leon's parachute malfunctioned during a training jump at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Sgt. Maj. Thomas Payne and his teammates prior to a free fall jump in an undated photo. (Courtesy photo via U.S. Army)

Delta Force Soldier Selected for Medal of Honor Casts Light on Bravery of Fallen Teammate

Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler was killed leading Kurdish forces through a storm of gunfire.

Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)

Lawmaker Seeks Bronze Star Upgrade for Soldier’s Heroic Actions in Niger Ambush

Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., told Military.com that he has been working with Johnson's family since 2017.

A Mission Enabling Technologies-Demonstrator nd two Robotic Combat Vehicles maneuver through a Fort Carson training area

Soldiers Have Ideas for the Army on How to Improve the Future Robotic Combat Vehicle

Soldiers at Fort Carson want improvements added to the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle prototypes.

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Targets Blumenthal, Calling for Investigation into Senator's Vietnam Service Claims

President Donald Trump is targeting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal again after Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator grilled U.S...

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

Mothers and Wives of Fallen Ukrainian Soldiers Plant Trees to Remember Their Sacrifice

Wives and mothers of Ukrainian soldiers who died in the fight against Russia planted trees in a public park...

Destruction in Gaza Visible from Southern Israel

From multiple vantage points, debris piles are visible as a result of bombing in Gaza. (AP) Oct. 24

Russia Targets Kyiv with Drones, Killing 3 and Wounding 29

Russia attacked Ukraine with 101 drones over Saturday night into Sunday, according to Ukraine’s air force, of which 90...

Master Class: Resume Writing Workshop for Military Members & Spouses

Learn how to translate your military experience into a results-driven resume that speaks to civilian employers. Walk away with...

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

Florencio Davila. His family made sure that his final wish was honored with the help of the local community. (Submitted photo)

Fort Hood Steps In After Shutdown Halts WWII Veteran’s Military Funeral

Florencio Davila, a World War II veteran, died recently at age 99. His dying wish was to be buried with full military honors...

Lauri Törni served as an SS-Untersturmführer in the Waffen-SS near the end of World War II, after Finland's armistice with the Soviet Union forced him to seek other ways to continue fighting against Soviet forces. (Wikimedia Commons)

How a Former Waffen-SS Officer Became an American War Hero Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

A white granite headstone in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery bears a name that sounds American: Larry Allan Thorne...

Navy News

Venezuela Moves to Cancel Energy Agreements With Trinidad After US Warship Arrives at Island Nation

Venezuela's vice president has called for canceling energy agreements with Trinidad and Tobago.

Navy Loses Two Aircraft From USS Nimitz Aircraft Carrier Within 30 Minutes

The Navy's Pacific Fleet says a fighter jet and a helicopter based off the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz both crashed into the...

Air Force News

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington.

Former US Airman Threatened to Assassinate Trump Over LGBTQ+ Policies, Feds Say

Joshua Levi Young, 21, of Ishpeming, is accused of issuing several threats since January that called for the execution of...

Shield AI's newly unveiled X-BAT autonomous fighter jets. The VTOL drones are designed to fly combat missions alongside crewed aircraft as part of the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. (Shield AI)

Shield AI Unveils Fully Autonomous VTOL Fighter Jet

A San Diego defense technology company unveiled an artificial intelligence-piloted fighter jet Tuesday that can take off...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

Racers compete in the 50th Marine Corps Marathon on October 26, 2025 (Eric Kayne, Stars & Stripes).

50th Marine Corps Marathon: New Record Set, Marine Major Claims Third Win

The 50th running of the Marine Corps Marathon wrapped up with a record performance by the women's winner, as well as a third...

Runners and Marine Corps service members at the 2024 Marine Corps Marathon. (Photo by Marine Corps Marathon media team)

Marine Corps Marathon Marks 50 Years of Running With Purpose

This Sunday, Oct. 26, the Marine Corps Marathon will mark its 50th anniversary as one of the largest races in the U.S.

Coast Guard News

Coast Guardsmen stand watch behind a barrier at Coast Guard Base Alameda.

Shots Fired, Driver Hurt and Held After Truck Rams Into Coast Guard Base Alameda

No Coast Guard personnel were hurt.

The East Oakland entrance to the military installation — which marks the only way on or off of the island by car or truck — became the site of protests Thursday when federal agents arrived in the Bay Area as part of the next phase of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. (Kyle Martin)

Security Personnel Outside Coast Guard Base Open Fire at U-Haul Truck at Scene of Immigration Protests

Multiple security personnel opened fire Thursday night at a U-Haul truck that had been backing up to the entrance to Coast...