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

Undocumented migrants await takeoff for a removal flight

Air Force Has Troops Remove Names, Unit Patches from Uniforms During Deportation Flights

The Air Force is the only one of the military branches involved in President Donald Trump's mandated border mission to not...

Special Operations Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base undergoes cleaning

Special Operations Memorial at MacDill Air Force Base Vandalized with Spray Paint

The Special Operations Memorial, which is inside MacDill's gates, was likely vandalized sometime Tuesday evening, Troy Daland...

Gabriel Stone, 14, died on July 22, 2024, after a wall collapsed in the locker room of a pool at Robins Air Force Base.

Wall that Collapsed at Air Force Base Pool and Killed Teen Had Improper Anchoring, Investigation Finds

Gabriel Stone, 14, from Warner Robins, Georgia, died on July 22 after the concrete wall at Robins Air Force Base's Heritage...

U.S. Air Force technical sergeant rank insignia

Handbook Used by Airmen to Study for Promotions Removed Due to Trump's Diversity Order

Air Force Handbook 1, the primary 600-plus-page study document used by enlisted airmen to score well for the Weighted Airman...

Capt. Rebecca Lobach smiles in the cockpit of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on Feb. 28, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Brown)

Final Soldier Killed in Black Hawk Collision Identified as Family, Friends Grieve

Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, of Durham, North Carolina, was identified as one of the pilots of the Black Hawk flight that...

U.S. Air Force missileers conduct daily operations

Air Force, Congressional Focus Grows in Ongoing Missileer Cancer Study

Investigations into potential toxic exposures of those who work with America's nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles...

Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves and Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara

Governors Identify 2 Soldiers Killed in Black Hawk Collision While Third Name Withheld by Service

Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, and Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, were...

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River

3 Army Soldiers Killed in Tragic Collision with Passenger Plane Near DC Airport

Three unidentified Army soldiers died after their Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger flight over Washington, D.C...

Air Force General Fired from Leadership Due to 'Inappropriate Personal Relationships'

Brig. Gen. Erik Quigley was removed from his position "following an internal investigation which revealed inappropriate...

Two F-35A Lightning II aircraft fly over the Alaska Range en route to their new home at the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base

Video Shows Air Force F-35 Fighter Exploding in Fireball at Eielson Base in Alaska

An F-35 Lightning II crashed during a scheduled training event at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, causing a massive...

Air Force Unveils New Policies on Shaving, Nail Polish, Hair Length in Leaked Memos

Medical shaving waivers for thousands of airmen and Space Force Guardians will be reset and reevaluated, according to new...

Marines hike during mountain training exercise

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

Red Tails patch with name and motto honoring the Tuskegee Airmen

Tuskegee Airmen, WASP History Will Stay in Air Force Boot Camp Curriculum Following Outcry

The Air Force is resuming its boot camp lessons about trailblazing Black and female World War II pilots after the material...

U.S. Army soldiers depart for a mission along the Southern Border

Here Are All the Units Now Deployed to the Border for Trump's Immigration Crackdown

The bulk of deployed troops come from the Army, primarily military police, to enhance surveillance efforts and act as a...

Migrants board a removal flight at Fort Bliss, Texas

Inside the Military's Scramble to Move Troops to the Mexico Border

After the Department of Defense announced Wednesday that 1,500 troops would be initially assigned to the border mission, what...

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Naval History and Heritage Command’s web portal on women in the U.S. Navy.

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