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.

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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.

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

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

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Latest Military Videos

FBI Searches a Washington Post Reporter's Home

FBI searches a Washington Post reporter's home as part of a classified documents investigation.

Federal Officer Shoots Person in Leg After Being Attacked in Minneapolis

Federal officer shoots person in leg after being attacked during Minneapolis arrest, officials say.

Japan and Philippines Sign New Defense Pact

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NATO Chief Refuses To Be Drawn into Commenting on Greenland Dispute

NATO chief refuses to be drawn into commenting on Greenland dispute.

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

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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

Army soldier Ben Gross in Korea in 1953. (Submitted photo)

Korean War Veteran Reunited with Lost Letters from 1952

Ben Gross is trying to hunt down remaining lost letters he wrote back home from the Korean War more than 70 years ago.

Law enforcement uses a chemical agent on protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (AP Photo/Tom Baker)

Army Combat Veterans, Sisters Document ICE Actions in Minneapolis

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Navy News

Malaysian fugitive Francis Leonard Glenn, known as Fat Leonard

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Air Force News

An artist rendering of the proposed Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Photo from Terry Massey/The Post & Courier)

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Air Force veteran Dominic Marino was murdered in the fall of 2018. Police are still searching for leads in his case. (Photo from obituary)

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More than seven years after Dominic Marino was brutally killed inside his Connecticut home, police are still searching for...

Space Force News

President Donald Trump holds top a signed executive order as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watches in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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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)

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Marine Corps News

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Sergeant Eddie Quezada, a Marine Corps recruiter from Marine Corps Recruiting Station San Diego, gathers answer key sheets during Mission Bay High School’s first Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery in San Diego, 23 Oct 2014 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Erica Kirsop)

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After a massive 2025 recruiting surge, the military faces a hidden hurdle: high schools blocking fair access to students.

Coast Guard News

Adm. Kevin Lunday was sworn in Thursday as the 28th commandant of the United States Coast Guard. (US Coast Guard)

New US Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday Sworn In: 'Nation Will Prevail'

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