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

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conduct the Army Combat Fitness Test at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Oct. 2, 2019. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Cody Parsons)

Army Considering Pass/Fail Option on ACFT for Sergeant Promotions

The Army may do away with making sergeant promotions dependent on high Army Combat Fitness Test scores.

Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division participate in a large-scale air assault training exercise January 19, 2018 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (U.S. Army/Sgt. 1st Class Andrew McClure)

After Almost 5 Years, Army's 101st Airborne Will Return to Full Air Assault Power

U.S. Army aviation officials have launched an effort to restore full air assault capability to the 101st Airborne Division.

First 11 Soldiers Get Army's Newest Skill Badge

The U.S. Army recently recognized 11 soldiers for helping create the Expert Soldier Badge, or ESB, test program.

Soldiers of the 1-294th Infantry Regiment, Guam Army National Guard, start the two-mile run portion of a diagnostic Army Combat Fitness Test in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt on September 10, 2019. (U.S. Army/Capt. Mark Scott)

Men and Women Seeing Different Failure Rates on Army's Gender-Neutral Fitness Test

The Army general in charge of the service's new combat fitness test said he's confident it will remain gender-neutral.

The U.S. Army’s new Integrated Head Protection System. (Military.com/Matthew Cox)

Army Secretly Fields Lighter Helmet that Offers More Ballistic Protection

The Army recently fielded a small number of helmets that offer increased protection against high-performance sniper rounds.

FILE – Then Army Under Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy outlined the Army's key priorities for Army Futures Command and its potential impact to the force during the opening ceremony at the 2018 Association of the U.S. Army Global Force Symposium and Exhibition, March 26, 2018. (U.S. Army/ Devon Suits)

Army Secretary Says It's OK for Soldiers to Sound Off on Syria Withdrawal

The administration's recent move to endorse a Turkish incursion into Syria sparked outrage among some U.S. Special Forces.

A team made up of Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and FLIR Systems, Inc. is debuting the new Ripsaw M5 unmanned vehicle it intends to offer for the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle effort at the 2019 Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting. (Courtesy Textron)

Meet Ripsaw M5, Textron's Unmanned Battle Wagon

"You are going to need to have smaller robots come out of this robot for [situational awareness] purposes."

Marines train aboard an amphibious assault ship. (Marine Corps/U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Abraham Becerra (right), a scout sniper team leader with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), performs a speed reload with an M4A1 carbine during an immediate action drill aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. (Marine Corps/Dalton Swanbeck)

Drill Sergeant to SMA: Non-Grunt Army Recruits Need Marine Combat Training

The new sergeant major of the Army was told that non-combat arms recruits need something like Marine Combat Training.

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta dragging a wounded comrade and firing at the enemy in the mountains of Afghanistan from AUSA Medal of Honor: Sal Giunta. (AUSA)

New Graphic Novels Honor Hero Medal of Honor Recipients

"Medal of Honor: Audie Murphy" and "Medal of Honor: Sal Giunta" will be featured in a new book .

Mechanical Engineer Jason Pusey inspects actuators on a robotic dog prototype called LLAMA during an experimental integration event. (Image courtesy CCDC Army Research Laboratory)

Robot Army Working Dog May One Day Accompany Soldiers into Combat

Army scientists are working to design a near-fully autonomous robot capable of going anywhere a soldier can go.

Army M1 Tanks Are Getting the Ability to Locate and Destroy Enemy Missiles

Ultimately, four brigades of tanks will get the new system.

Master Sgt. Matthew Williams (U.S. Army)

Active-Duty Green Beret to Receive Medal of Honor for Heroic Afghanistan Rescue

In an Oct. 30 ceremony, President Trump will present the Medal of Honor to Master Sgt. Matthew Williams.

Sgt. 1st Class Bryson Briles (left) and Staff Sgt. Jorge Flechas enjoy a relaxing moment vaping before heading to class at U.S. Army Recruiting and Retention College Sept. 5, 2019. Briles said he vapes as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Flechas said he vapes for recreational purposes. Health officials say they suspect the more than 200 recent deaths and serious illnesses across a 15-state area in the United States are the result of vaping. (Eric Pilgrim/Army)

Army Confirms Two Soldiers Being Treated for Severe Lung Injuries from Vaping

The cigarette alternative is now responsible for 18 deaths, officials say.

Staff Sgt. Gabriel Wright, a signals intelligence analyst with the 780th Military intelligence Brigade, grades the Hand-Release Push-Up event May 17, 2019, as part of Army Combat Fitness Test Level II Grader validation training, held at Fort Meade, Maryland. (Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Osvaldo Equite)

Army Unveils Major Changes to New Combat Fitness Test

Some standards changed, and troops in initial military training must pass the test as a graduation requirement after Oct. 1.

Here's What Soldiers on a Permanent Profile Need to Know About the ACFT

The Army released new guidelines for injured soldiers on permanent profile to follow when they take an altered ACFT.

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

President-elect Donald Trump speaks with Elon Musk

Musk, Ramaswamy Proposal to Slash Spending Could Include VA Medical Services

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed that they plan to target "unauthorized" federal spending, a category that includes...

Leatherman multitools, Garmin watches, and Cold Steel knives are on deep discount during Amazon's Black Friday Week 2024 sale.

The Best Amazon Black Friday Week 2024 Deals for Service Members, Veterans and Their Families

America’s favorite shopping holiday isn’t just a single day, or even a weekend, anymore. Here’s how U.S. service members...

A soldier fires a SIG Sauer M17 striker-fired pistol during a weapons qualification at Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland.

Army Offers $15,000 Reward for Info on Missing Guns and Other Gear at Fort Moore

Army investigators are still searching for 31 M17 pistols that disappeared from Fort Moore, Georgia, earlier this year, but...

Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, boards a C-17 cargo plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Donahue is the final American service member to depart Afghanistan.

GOP Senator Stalls Promotion of General Who Became Symbol of Afghanistan Withdrawal

Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who has been nominated to receive a fourth star and take command of U.S. Army forces in Europe...

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., smiles as he speaks to supporters during an election night rally at the Elks Lodge in Murphysboro, Ill.

House Approves Wide-Ranging Veterans Bill After Bipartisan Compromise Reached

A wide-ranging veterans policy bill that would bolster home caregiver programs and support for homeless veterans, among other...

Donald Trump before the launch of a test flight of the SpaceX Starship

Trump Reportedly Weighs Immediate Discharge of All Transgender Troops. Here's What That Would Mean.

The proposed plan, as first reported by the Times of London, would entail signing an order within days of Trump taking office...

Latest Military Videos

US to Give Antipersonnel Mines to Ukraine to Help Slow the Russian Advance

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the Biden administration will allow Ukraine to use American-supplied antipersonnel land mines to...

NATO Troops Take Part in Artillery Drills in Finland for First Time Since It Joined Military Alliance

Several thousand NATO troops took part in large-scale artillery drills in Finland for the first time since the country...

Austin Explains Decision to Supply Ukraine With Landmines

Outgoing U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin explained a decision to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines during a briefing...

Ukrainian Students Light Candles to Remember 659 Children Killed in Conflict With Russia

Ukrainian students on Wednesday paused to remember the children killed in the conflict with Russia by lighting 659 candles...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

Graduation at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, is held on March 12, 2020.

Sewage Was Overflowing at Military Family’s Fort Jackson House. Then a 4-Year-Old Got Sick

A family is suing Fort Jackson's housing provider, alleging continuous sewage leaks led to their 4-year-old son contracting...

Navy News

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Navy Special Warfare (SEAL) trident.

Former Navy Officer ‘Driven by Greed’ Steals over $850,000 in Military Gear, Feds Say

Richard Allen, 53, pleaded guilty Aug. 29 to conspiracy and six counts of money laundering. Now he'll serve 18 months in...

Air Force News

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

Strange Drones Have Been Buzzing US Air Force Bases in the United Kingdom

These latest drone sightings come after it was reported in The Wall Street Journal that mysterious drones swarmed the area...

Space Force News

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

Members of the National Space Defense Center stand at attention during the Space Delta 15 activation ceremony at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.

Colorado Springs Named Permanent Home for 250 Delta 15 Space Force Guardians, Ahead of Possible Space Command Fight

The Air Force announced last week 250 Space Force guardians with Delta 15, dedicated to protecting and defending operations...

Marine Corps News

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

Osprey Ferrying White House Staff in New York Grounded Due to Safety Issue; Witness Reports Flames

An Osprey flying as part of the presidential squadron used to ferry White House staff and government officials from an event...

Coast Guard News

Does the Military Need Social Media Influencers?

New military influencers are popping up daily talking about military life -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

President Joe Biden serves food at a Friendsgiving event with service members and their families in the Staten Island borough of New York.

Inside President Biden's Historic New York Friendsgiving Coast Guard Visit: 'Thank You ... We Owe You'

President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden traveled to Staten Island for a "Friendsgiving Event" to break bread with...

Matthew Cox

Latest Articles

Military News

Select Service

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Most Popular Military News

Latest Military Videos

Investigations and Features

Army News

Navy News

Air Force News

Space Force News

Marine Corps News

Coast Guard News