![Cmdr. Frank Azzarello](http://images04.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2021-06/facebook-Frank-Azzarello-1200.jpg?itok=RKbzMx1S "When Cmdr. Frank Azzarello was removed from his post on the destroyer Forrest Sherman, days before his change-of-command ceremony, the Navy said it was over a "loss of confidence in his ability to command." (Forrest Sherman Facebook page)")
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Konstantin Toropin is a reporter for Military.com, where he serves as the publication’s Pentagon correspondent while also specializing in coverage of the Navy. He is a Navy veteran, having served five years in the surface fleet as a signals intelligence analyst. Prior to joining Military.com, he covered breaking national news for CNN.
In 2023, he was recognized as one of the top 10 veterans in journalism by Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) and -- along with a team of Military.com reporters -- received the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation award for reporting on national defense in 2024.
His coverage focuses on the quality of life for service members in the military and has included helping to report on contaminated water aboard the USS Boxer and a suicide cluster on the USS George Washington.
Toropin holds a bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in journalism and a master's degree in mass communication from the University of Minnesota.
