Thomas Novelly

About Thomas Novelly

Thomas Novelly is a reporter for Military.com, where he specializes in coverage of issues that directly impact 700,000 airmen and Guardians and their families. His work ranges from investigations into cancer and health concerns among service members who protect America's nuclear missiles to safety issues with the military's Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, as well as features into marginalized communities and profiles of Department of the Air Force leadership.

For nearly a decade, he has covered military communities and federal politics across the country from the Mile High City in Colorado to the Lowcountry of South Carolina and beyond. He previously was the military and politics reporter for the Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston.

He won best breaking news story from the Society of Professional Journalists Louisville Pro Chapter in 2018 for reporting on the FBI's investigation of the University of Louisville basketball team. In 2021, he was part of a team of reporters named as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for a series titled "Rising Water," which examined widespread climate issues and flooding across Charleston. In 2024, he was a Pulitzer Center grantee who investigated health concerns among America's missileers.

Expertise

Air Force/Space Force quality-of-life expert
Journalist since 2017

Professional Roles

Air and Space Force reporter for Military.com
Post and Courier military and politics reporter
Courier Journal breaking news reporter

Education

Holds a bachelor's degree in politics and journalism from Hillsdale College

Achievements

Part of a team that was a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist
Pulitzer Center Grantee 2024
SPJ Louisville Best Breaking New Story 2018

Connect with Thomas

Email: thomas.novelly@military.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-novelly-36aa4168/

X: https://x.com/TomNovelly

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tomnovelly.bsky.social

Latest Articles

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...

F-35B Lightning II launches from the flight deck of USS Tripoli

F-35s Will Be Deployed Against Drug Cartels in Caribbean, Marking Latest Escalation by Trump

President Donald Trump’s administration is sending multiple F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico in operations against drug...

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...

The flag of the U.S. Space Command is unfurled at the White House

Trump Says Space Command Is Moving to Alabama, Reversing a Biden-Era Decision

While the move had been anticipated, it’s not clear why the expected announcement took so long to make. White House officials...

Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt

Jan. 6 Rioter Fatally Shot by Police Approved for Military Funeral Honors by Air Force

Ashli Babbitt, who served as a senior airman, was among a group of rioters attempting to smash through barricaded doors...

109th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

Air Guard Transfers to Space Force Appear Likely as Senators Backtrack on Effort to Stop It

New amendments added to Congress' must-pass annual defense policy bill would allow the Space Force to take over certain state...

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II takes off

F-35 Pilot Was on Phone for Nearly an Hour with Engineers Before Ejection and Fiery Crash

The 39-page crash report, released this week, detailed the circumstances of the fiery crash, which completely destroyed the F...

Airman's M18 pistol in a clearing barrel at Fairchild Air Force Base

M18s Cleared for Use by Air Force Global Strike Command Following Airman's Death

Air Force Global Strike Command has completed its inspection of Sig Sauer M18 handguns following the death of an airman last...

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi

Air Force Top Enlisted Leader Says Service Oath Isn't Made to 'Any Individual' Amid General's Retirement

Chief Master Sgt. David Flosi's message to the force seemingly sought to calm the rank and file as the Pentagon goes through...

New U.S. Space Force dress uniform at Buckley Space Force Base, Colo.

Space Force Finally Has its Own Rulebook on Dress, Appearance Guidelines for Guardians

Since being established as the smallest service branch in 2019, the Space Force has used the same guidance given to the Air...

A photo of Senior Airman Joshua Aragon from Basic Military Training.

Airman Killed in Off-Base AK-47 Shooting Near F.E. Warren Air Force Base Identified

An airman stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, who died after being shot by an AK-47 fired through the wall of an off...

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin

Air Force Chief's Sudden Retirement Raises Question of 'Who Is Next' in Leadership Shake-Up

Policy experts told Military.com that the departure raises alarm amid other leadership changes within the Department of the...

The entrance to F.E. Warren Air Force Base

Airman Accused of Firing AK-47 Through Apartment Wall in Latest Gun Death Near Wyoming Base

The weekend arrest and firearm death come just weeks after a Security Forces airman was killed by an M18 handgun on base...

Federal law enforcement agents question a couple in Washington DC

Man Charged with Assaulting Border Patrol Agent with Sandwich in DC Is an Air Force Veteran

A man accused of throwing a sandwich at an immigration enforcement officer during President Donald Trump's federal takeover...

KC-46 Pegasus aircraft taxis at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Flights Restricted over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit

North American Aerospace Defense Command issued a statement saying it would be enforcing Federal Aviation Administration...

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

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Veterans and the VA

While most vets won't be impacted by the ongoing government shutdown, concerns may ramp up the longer it persists.

Hegseth Wants 'Male Standard' for Combat Roles. Many Female Veterans Say That's Already the Case

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an address to the military’s top leaders waded back into a topic that nearly derailed his...

Those bubble-canopy Bell 47 helicopters weren't the only vehicles in ‘M*A*S*H.’

The Forgotten Military Vehicles of ‘M*A*S*H’

Between all the martini-fueled hijinx and medical drama, “M*A*S*H” featured some pretty special military vehicles.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico

Hegseth's Decision on Wounded Knee Medals Sparks Outrage in Native American Communities

Native American communities that had long wanted the removal of military honors for the soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded...

Airman Confronts and Shoots Armed Neighbor on Deadly Rampage, Iowa Officials Say

Harrison Friar, a senior airman, was with his wife and children at their home in Glenwood on the evening of Aug. 6 when they...

APTOPIX Trump Pentagon Commanders Meeting

The US Military Has Long Been an Engine of Social Change. Hegseth's Approach Runs Counter to That

In comments Tuesday to hundreds of military leaders and their chief enlisted advisers, Hegseth made clear he was not...

Latest Military Videos

Scientists Crack How to Break Down So-Called 'Forever Chemicals'

Known as "forever chemicals" due to their resistance to breaking down, PFAS's weakness may finally have been found. (Oct...

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Ukraine: 'This War Needs to End'

United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk called for an end to the war in Ukraine, detailing human rights...

Putin Praises Trump and Warns Supplies of US Long-Range Missile to Ukraine Will Hurt Ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to help negotiate peace in Ukraine and...

British Police Say Deadly Rampage at UK Synagogue Was a Terrorist Attack

An assailant drove a car into people outside a synagogue Thursday in northern England and then began stabbing them...

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

Prosecutors Seek to Have Ex-Green Beret Accused of Failed Venezuelan Plot Back in Custody

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to revoke the release of a former Green Beret who is accused of planning a failed...

Army Vet Sentenced to Year In Prison For $80,000 Fraud, Stolen Valor

Sharon Toney-Finch, 43, was indicted in April 2024 on four charges: wire fraud, stolen valor, theft of government funds, and...

Navy News

Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), delivers remarks during NETC’s change of command ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, June 18, 2025. The museum recently opened an exhibit honoring Vietnam prisoners of war. (United States Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zachary Melvin)

National Naval Aviation Museum Honors Vietnam POWs with Emotional Exhibit

A new exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, is giving attendees a rare glimpse into life for...

President Trump has ordered the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to the waters off the coast of Venezuela.

Maduro Declares State of Emergency in Response to US Naval Presence in Caribbean

Nicolás Maduro has signed a decree declaring a state of external emergency in response to what his government calls growing...

Air Force News

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview

Veterans, Who Saw One of Their Own Arrested by ICE and Charged, Say Feds Are Undermining Democracy

Days after a 70-year-old Air Force veteran was among five people charged while protesting outside a suburban U.S. Immigration...

Airman Confronts and Shoots Armed Neighbor on Deadly Rampage, Iowa Officials Say

Harrison Friar, a senior airman, was with his wife and children at their home in Glenwood on the evening of Aug. 6 when they...

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

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a War Department Address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

Train Hard - What Marines Need to Know About SecWar's Guidance

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth did not mince his words during a recent speech to senior leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico...

U.S. Capital Building (DVIDS, photo by Pamela Moore)

How the Government Shutdown Impacts Marines

As of 1 October 2025, the lapse in appropriations (AKA the “government shutdown”) is already having impacts on Marines and...

Coast Guard News

Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Harris receives new shoulder boards from his children during a promotion ceremony June 21, 2018, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training in Charleston, South Carolina. (U.S. Coast Guard/Ryan Dickinson)

Coast Guard Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Coast Guard ranks from seaman to admiral. Learn about the rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and promotion...

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Motor Lifeboat CG-36538 was restored by dozens of volunteers after more than 8 years of hard work.

Cape May Maritime Museum Brings 73-Year-Old Coast Guard Lifeboat Back to Life

The CG-36538 was built in a Baltimore shipyard in Curtis Bay in 1952 and was primarily used for winter rescues and winter...