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 as well as breaking news for the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

Latest Articles

'A Total Shock': Parents Mourn Sudden Death of Their Air Force Academy Son

Candyce and Dustin Brown last spoke to their son Hunter by phone on Sunday, Jan. 8, discussing the class schedule for his...

A U.S. Air Force missile handling technician.

Missileers Worry About New Signs of Link Between Service and Cancer, Latest in Toxic Exposure Concerns

The community of missileers who have spent years operating America's nuclear arsenal are voicing concern about a presentation...

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado poses with U.S. Air Force airmen.

Democrat Threatens to Hold Up Pentagon Nominees over Space Command HQ Decision

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet voted against confirming Brendan Owens as assistant secretary of defense for energy and...

al-Shabab fighters march with their weapons during military exercises on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia

US Airstrike Kills Around 30 al-Shabaab Militants in Somalia, Military Says

The Jan. 20 strike occurred approximately 260 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu near Galcad, Somalia.

Monthly Delta Dash at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Some Space Force Guardians Can Skip Fitness Test Until New Program Is Unveiled

Space Force Guardians will not be required to take a fitness assessment in 2023 if they took one in 2022, at least until the...

Capt. Michael Bambarger, the Aim High App functional manager, displays the Aim High mobile application's menu

Now You Can Send Recruiters After Almost Anyone Using Updated Air Force App

Air Force recruiters want anyone, civilian or service member, who has a smartphone in their pocket to to recruit people to...

An airman stationed takes a random drug test.

Air Force Accepted Dozens of New Recruits Who Tested Positive for THC Under New Program

In late September, the Air Force and Space Force announced a pilot program that would grant certain applicants who test...

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Theodore Clever measures an airman's abdominal circumference.

The Old Air Force Tape Test Is Officially Dead. Long Live the New Tape Test.

Airmen and Guardians will no longer have to go through the dreaded abdominal tape test, but will have their waist and height...

Air Force Moves F-16s from Europe to Japan as Ukraine War Lingers and Pacific Tensions Simmer

The move comes after the Pentagon announced it was pulling older F-15 Eagles from Kadena Air Base in an attempt to bring more...

A U.S. Navy sailor holds his newborn baby for the first time.

Military Families Stressed by Delay in Parental Leave Rules from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps

The services need to issue specific guidance to their formations before the rules can be used by the rank and file.

U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting.

Attacks on Satellites May Trigger Military Response, US and Japanese Officials Say

With additional treaty obligations between the U.S. and Japan, American forces could be drawn into a skirmish if Japanese...

Air Force Academy Cadet Dies Suddenly While Walking to Class

Cadet 3rd Class Hunter Brown of Lake Charles, Louisiana, died after he "experienced a medical emergency while leaving his...

Basic cadets from the class of 2026 arrive at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Applications to Air Force Academy Bounce Back After Plummeting During Pandemic

More than 10,000 students had applied to be part of the class of 2027 as of the Dec. 31 deadline.

The XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters sign at Fort Bragg.

Get Ready for Fort Liberty: The Pentagon Begins Changing Confederate Base Names

The Pentagon has started the process of renaming Fort Bragg and other bases, as well as ships and hundreds of signs and roads...

fighter jet crash landed at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth

Deliveries of F-35s and Engines on Hold in Latest Fallout from Texas Crash

The halt in deliveries comes three weeks after an F-35B Lightning II crashed during a vertical landing at a Naval Air Station...

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Pat Ryan at the National Purple Heart Museum.

West Point Grad Congressman Says He Has 'Zero Time' for Complaints About Woke Military, Focused on China

Rep. Pat Ryan argued political attacks such as GOP accusations of "critical race theory" infiltrating the military academies...

The Supreme Court convenes in Washington DC.

US Supreme Court Rejects Veteran's Challenge to Disability Claims Filing Deadline

The decision spares the VA from paying 30 years worth of compensation to a Navy veteran, as well as potential claims by...

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Millions of Tricare Users Must Approve Mail-Order Prescription Refills Starting Now

Express Scripts has started sending out notices asking Tricare patients to confirm their mail-order prescription refills.

US Airstrike Kills Around 30 al-Shabaab Militants in Somalia, Military Says

The Jan. 20 strike occurred approximately 260 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu near Galcad, Somalia.

Soldiers demonstrate the U.S. Army’s newest weapon at Victory Pond, Fort Benning

The Army Forced to Change the Name of Its New Rifle

The service's upcoming M5 from Sig Sauer will now be called the M7 after it was discovered Colt Industries also makes a...

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WWII Rocket Unearthed by Man Using Excavator in Florida Yard, Cops Say. He Got Lucky

The fate of the rocket was not revealed, and it’s still a mystery how it came to be buried in someone’s yard.

Latest Military Videos

US Weighs in on Government Shake-up in Kyiv

The State Department is weighing in on developments in Kyiv as several senior Ukrainian officials, including front-line governors, lost...

French Soldiers Hold Combat Exercise in Romania

Around 600 French soldiers deployed as part of a NATO battle group in Romania held a combat exercise on...

Biden Says Supporting Ukraine a 'Worldwide Commitment'

President Joe Biden thanked western allies providing military support to Kyiv as he announced on Wednesday that the United...

Biden Announces US Will Send Abrams Tanks to Ukraine

President Joe Biden announce Wednesday the U.S. will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, reversing months of...

Investigations and Features

They Said the Rise in Military Suicide Is a Mystery. Traumatic Brain Injury May Be an Answer.

Veterans who have had a head injury are at higher risk for suicide, but these deaths can be prevented, experts say.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol

What Happened to Members of the Military Accused of Storming the Capitol on January 6?

At least five service members allegedly were part of the deadly pro-Trump mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Army News

First lady Jill Biden speaks during an event to present her 2021 inaugural ensembles to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

Jill Biden to Visit Military Families at Fort Drum

Biden will be joined by Deputy Defense Secretary Dr. Kathleen Hicks at Fort Drum. According to the White House, the meeting...

Command Sergeant Major Michael R. Weimer at Fort Bragg.

Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts: A Look at the Next Army Enlisted Leader's Combat Record

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer is set to become the Army's next top enlisted leader in August, replacing Michael Grinston.

Navy News

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A Navy Veteran Built New Technology to Aid Wildfire Prevention and Disaster Relief

Harbinger is software that combines a 1950s idea with the latest in sensors and communications technology.

Phil Bucklew trained special operators for three wars after winning football championships. (Xavier University)

How a National Football Champion Became 'The Father of Naval Special Warfare'

In 1942, Phil Bucklew and nine other naval warfare pioneers trained to perform amphibious assaults before the U.S. had any...

Air Force News

'A Total Shock': Parents Mourn Sudden Death of Their Air Force Academy Son

Candyce and Dustin Brown last spoke to their son Hunter by phone on Sunday, Jan. 8, discussing the class schedule for his...

Missileers Worry About New Signs of Link Between Service and Cancer, Latest in Toxic Exposure Concerns

The community of missileers who have spent years operating America's nuclear arsenal are voicing concern about a presentation...

Space Force News

Democrat Threatens to Hold Up Pentagon Nominees over Space Command HQ Decision

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet voted against confirming Brendan Owens as assistant secretary of defense for energy and...

inert Minuteman III missile is seen in a training launch tube at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

Military Probing Whether Cancers Linked to Nuclear Silo Work

Nine military officers who had worked decades ago at a nuclear missile base in Montana have been diagnosed with blood cancer.

Marine Corps News

Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Reactivation and Naming Ceremony in Guam.

Marines Reopen Base on Guam as Part of a Shift from Okinawa

Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, which is on Guam's northern plateau, is still in the process of being built.

'Yellowstone' Creator Filming Espionage Drama Series About a Marine Who's Out of Options

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Coast Guard News

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Spirit of Norfolk Hearings Begin: Cruise Ship Had Technical Issues in Weeks Before June Blaze, Investigators Say

The hearing, led by Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board officials, revealed new details about issues the...

Rear Adm. Brendan Mcpherson disembarks a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk

US Coast Guard Commander: There's a Plan in Place for Mass Migration from Cuba, Haiti

As hundreds of Cuban migrants washed ashore on New Year’s Day in the Florida Keys, local officials complained to the state...