Thomas Novelly

Thomas Novelly is a reporter for Military.com focusing on coverage of the Air Force and Space Force. He previously covered veterans, military bases and federal politics in South Carolina for The Post and Courier as well as breaking news for the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

Latest Articles

A C-130J performs low-level training through the Alaskan mountains.

Air Force Testing Autonomous Control on Transport Planes amid Pilot Shortage

The U.S. Air Force is partnering with a Boston-based technology company to test using an autonomous co-pilot on its cargo...

An A-10 Warthog sits on the flightline at Kandahar Airfield.

Air Force Open to Sending A-10s to Ukraine for Fight Against Russia

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that some of America's aging A-10 Thunderbolt combat jets could potentially be given...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.

US Air Force Chief of Staff Says Officials Considering Training Ukrainian Pilots

Gen. Charles Q. Brown's comments come as House lawmakers recently approved $100 million to train Ukrainian pilots to fly U.S...

A pet who traveled to the Korean Peninsula is scanned for a microchip.

After 4 Pets Die During PCS Flights, Air Force Reviewing Policies

Three pets have died in the last two weeks as troops and their families were traveling on Patriot Express.

Air Force to Promote Fewer Noncommissioned Officers as Worries About Inexperience Grow

The service attributed the decrease in promotion opportunities to restructuring, a decrease in end-strength numbers and...

activation ceremony for Space Operations Command'sNational Space Intelligence Center (NSIC) at the Nutter Center, Dayton, Ohio, June 24, 2022. (U.S. Space Force photo by SrA Jack Gardner)

Space Force Launches New Intelligence Unit as Congress Voices Concerns over Growth

Delta 18 and the brand-new National Space Intelligence Center were officially commissioned late last month at Wright...

Space Force Guardians celebrate with their peers during graduation.

They Graduated Space Force Boot Camp. What Comes Next for Them, and the Service, Is Less Clear.

Space Force continues to carve out its own identity after being created in 2019.

How Do You Create a Guardian? A Look Inside Space Force's First Specialized Basic Training

Over three months, Military.com interviewed more than a dozen Guardians, drill sergeants, recruiters and officers, and...

Navy, Air Force and Marines Say Transfers over Discriminatory State Laws Possible, But No Sign of Requests Yet

The three services all say that they have policies and procedures in place to help service members transfer to new duty...

U.S. Space Force recruits recite the Oath of Enlistment.

Inside Recruits' Journey to Space Force's First Boot Camp

72 Guardians went through the first-ever independent Space Force boot camp, held from early May until June 24.

Training at Idaho's Orchard Combat Training Center and Saylor Creek ranges.

Air Force ROTC Cadet Killed, 2 Others Injured in Humvee Training Accident

The accident happened around noon on June 24, 2022, at Saylor Creek Range, a part of the Mountain Home Range Complex, in...

Vice Adm. Ross Myers and Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting.

Space Force Won't Take as Many Transfers from Other Branches This Year

John Raymond, the service's top officer, said that only 243 slots -- 29 officer and 214 enlisted -- will be available.

U.S. military convoy conducting a patrol outside Manbij, Syria.

Airman Arrested in Connection with Attack on US Base in Syria that Injured 4 Troops

Further details on the identity of the airman were not made available by the Department of the Air Force and no charges have...

Naval Satellite Operations Center disestablishment, Naval Base Ventura County.

Navy Hands Over Satellite Operations Center to Space Force

The Naval Satellite Operations Center at Naval Base Ventura County was placed under the U.S. Space Force's Space Delta 8 and...

Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station sign

Space Force License Plates Coming to Colorado

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bipartisan bill into law last week funding commemorative license plates for the Space...

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U.S. Army Forces Command’s Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Grinston applies camouflage face paint at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Michael Grinston's Quiet War to Help Make the Army More Lethal, Wokeness Hysterics Be Damned

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Number of Monkeypox Cases in the Military Climbs Tenfold in Less than 4 Weeks

The Defense Department has had 40 members diagnosed with monkeypox, including 26 active-duty personnel.

Airmen participate in group physical training at Eglin Air Force Base

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Bribery is punishable under Article 124 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Fort Bragg paratroopers conduct an Airborne Operation over Sicily Drop Zone on a sunny North Carolina morning.

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U.S. service members receive the COVID-19 vaccine aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Military Faces National Guard Refusals and Legal Blockade over Disobeying COVID-19 Vaccine Order

While many Guardsmen have outright refused to get vaccinated, some service members have put off getting inoculated while...

Latest Military Videos

Master Class: Fistful of Dollars: Financial Literacy for the Transitioning Veteran

Did you know transition finances can be gamed with a little knowledge and foresight?

View of Taiwan Strait After Chinese Military Exercises

China has conducted "precision missile strikes" off Taiwan's coasts as part of military exercises after a visit by U.S...

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South Korea is on its way to the moon. SpaceX launched the Asian nation's first lunar explorer on Thursday...

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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling...

Investigations and Features

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol

What Happened to Members of the Military Accused of Storming the Capitol on January 6?

At least five service members allegedly were part of the deadly pro-Trump mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

House of Prayer Church in Hinesville, Georgia.

How a Church Allegedly Scammed Millions in VA Money from Vets

The FBI raided five church facilities -- all right outside major military installations -- in June.

Army News

Pro Publica sexual assault investigation

Twice Accused of Sexual Assault, He Was Let Go by Army Commanders. He Attacked Again.

Christian Alvarado began to type as he sat alone in an interrogation room at Fort Bliss, a sprawling Army post in El Paso...

The sun rises at the Vanessa Guillén gate before the arrival of a congressional delegation at Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Veteran Who Stole Millions Worth of Equipment from Fort Hood Gets Jail Time

Last week, an Army veteran was sentenced to 18 months in jail and ordered to pay almost $1.3 million in restitution for the...

Navy News

Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) 2nd Class Joseph Morrissey, assigned to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, fills jugs at a water distribution center servicing Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam residents.

Navy: No PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Detected in Red Hill Water

The foam suppression system at the bulk fuel storage system had never been activated, preventing contamination from dangerous...

The bow of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star as it breaks ice in Antarctica.

Why the Military Has an Office Dedicated to Tracking the World’s Biggest Blocks of Ice

The National Ice Center is the only entity that monitors ice movement and formation across the globe.

Air Force News

Sexual assault response advocates wave to drivers during the “Stand Against Sexual Assault” drive-by campaign at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

Air Force Launches Program to Help Sexual Assault, Harassment Survivors at 7 Bases

The Air Force is launching a new pilot program that will put resources for survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, cyber...

Test facility craftsman Jack Culpepper adjusts a model of the F-15 Eagle before it undergoes aerodynamic testing in the mid-1970s in the 4-foot transonic wind tunnel at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, headquarters of Arnold Engineering Development Complex. The Air Force recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the F-15’s deployment. Models of the aircraft, engines and other F-15 components have frequently been tested by AEDC over the past 50 years. (U.S. Air Force)

5 Amazing Stories About the F-15 in Action to Celebrate Its 50th Birthday

In the late 1960s, the Air Force was looking for a new air superiority fighter. The result was the F-15 Eagle.

Space Force News

Members of Space Launch Delta 30 pace one another during the monthly Delta Dash on Nov. 5, 2021, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

Space Force's Wearable Fitness Tech Plan May Have Punitive Consequences After All

Fears that the Space Force's new fitness program will lead to micromanagement and punishment for not working out enough, as...

Replacement for Space Force Chief Gen. John Raymond Named by President Biden

As part of the nomination, Biden is pushing for SaItzman to be promoted to four-star general.

Marine Corps News

Marine General Takes Over Africa Command, Sees Challenges

Marine Gen. Michael Langley took over as the top U.S. commander for Africa Tuesday, heading U.S. military operations on a...

Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola honored at Disneyland

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Space Mountain was Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola’s favorite ride. Disneyland was his happy place.

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard rescue crews safely transfer people from a grounded vessel to U.S. Coast Guard ships.

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The Coast Guard described the boat as a “rustic vessel” that was making an illegal voyage with 15 migrant passengers.