James Barber

James Barber covers the intersection of military and entertainment for Military.com, a beat that includes movies, TV, books, video games and music. He has a background in the music, radio and film industries and goes behind the scenes to bring the military and veteran audience entertainment news they care about.

Email: jbarber@monster.com

Latest Articles

An Upcoming Tom Hanks Flick Follows a Civil War Vet Through the Wild West

Tom Hanks is the Captain now, again.

A fictional asteroid punches into Earth’s atmosphere at 38,000 miles per hour in the IMAX® film "Asteroid Hunters." (© 2020 IMAX Corporation)

How Earth Scientists Plan to Stop an Asteroid Strike

IMAX documentary "Asteroid Hunters" uses spectacular effects to show what an asteroid strike would do to earth and how we're...

This Movie Claims Guam Is a Hotbed of Holiday Spirit and Romance

Every cynical big city know-it-all needs a military romance to get the heart back on the right track.

Bruce Willis stars in a new "Die Hard" movie for 2020. (DieHard)

A Surprise 'Die Hard' Sequel Gives 2020 a Much-Needed Jump Start

Making sure you have the right gear can be essential at those critical moments.

Tom Cruise returns in "Top Gun: Maverick." (Paramount)

The Navy Loves ‘Top Gun’ So Much They Just Gave Its Creators Surprise Awards

Raise your hand if you already knew about the U.S. Navy's Honorary Naval Aviator award.

Navy Vet, Bored in Quarantine, Raised Big Bucks for the Special Forces Foundation

Sturgill Simpson promised to make a new LP if his fans donated a big pile of money. They did and the album is out now.

Watch How a Marine Gets Made in 'Hillbilly Elegy'

"Hillbilly Elegy," the celebrated memoir by Marine veteran J.D. Vance, is now a major motion picture directed by Ron Howard.

How a Retired Navy Aviator Became a Hotshot Hollywood Consultant for 'The Right Stuff'

Carl Pascarell brought his military experience to the streaming show about the Mercury 7 astronauts.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, speaks during a news conference after the SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, March 2, 2019. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

How Did Space Travel Go Commercial? HBO Series Set to Explore the Real Story

Elon Musk and SpaceX have become a critical part of our future in space.

Gerard Butler fights off the end of the world in "Greenland." (STX)

How Far Would You Go to Save Your Family from a Comet Apocalypse?

Gerard Butler is the man you want in a crisis and he's on the case in the new disaster thriller "Greenland."

Watch Santa Grab a Gun, Land a Gig as a Military Consultant and Fight Off a Hitman

Mel Gibson plays Action Santa in the new action movie "Fatman."

American GIs Battle a German Sniper in Snowy WWII Thriller 'Recon'

The movie follows four American soldiers over the course of a day after they're sent on a possible suicide mission over a...

L to R: Micah Stock as Deke Slayton, Jake McDorman as Alan Shepard, Aaron Staton as Wally Schirra, Michael Trotter as Gus Grissom, Patrick J. Adams as John Glenn, Colin O’Donoghue as Gordon Cooper and James Lafferty as Scott Carpenter during a press conference in the streaming series "The Right Stuff." (Disney+)

Watch the Mercury 7 Astronauts Learn the Shocking Truth About Their NASA Training

We've got an exclusive clip from the Disney+ series "The Right Stuff."

Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin both used the GI Bill to get educations that gave them the skills them to star in 1967's "The Dirty Dozen."

10 Hollywood Tough Guys Who Studied on the GI Bill

Millions of veterans have benefited from the GI Bill, but did you know that dozens of Hollywood actors learned their craft...

Navy veteran Roger Staubach led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories. (Dallas Cowboys)

6 Service Academy Athletes Who Fulfilled Their Obligations Before Going Pro

Would recruiting star athletes for Army, Navy and Air Force sports teams would be easier if players could "serve their time...

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Most Popular Military News

Coast Guard Ensign Morgan Garrett, of Waxhaw, N.C., died when her aircraft went down in a neighborhood in Foley, Alabama, Oct. 23, 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Coast Guard Officer Killed in Navy Trainer Crash Identified

A Coast Guard officer has been identified as one of two service members who died Friday in the crash of a T-6B Texan II...

He Was Convicted of War Crimes and Pardoned by Trump. Now He Wants to Reform Military Justice

Clint Lorance hopes to revamp the military justice system that convicted him of war crimes.

Navy recruits are fitted in their dress blue jumper top, traditionally known as the “Crackerjack.”

Mississippi Garment Maker Awarded $10.6 Million Military Uniform Contract

The company produce garments for the Navy and the Army.

Navy Lt. Rhiannon Ross, 30, of Wixom, Michigan, died when the T-6B Texan II trainer aircraft she was in crashed in Foley, Alabama, Oct. 23, 2020 (U.S. Navy)

Navy IDs 30-Year-Old Instructor Pilot Killed in Trainer Plane Crash

The second person killed in a military plane that crashed in Alabama on Friday was a Navy instructor pilot, officials...

T-6B Texan II training aircraft are staged on the tarmac at Millington Regional Jetport.

Investigation Continues into NAS Whiting T-6B Texan II Crash that Killed 2 in Alabama

The crash came less than a week after the Navy closed out the fiscal year without a single aviation-related fatality.

Latest Military Videos

US and Israeli F-35 5th-Generation Fighters Fly Together

A U.S. Air Force KC-135R aircrew from the 340th Expeditoinary Air Refueling Squadron flies over Israel in support of...

Lego Marines" 'BrickFlix' Shows Realities of Jarhead Life in Miniature

A stop-motion video displaying the importance of staying informed with current Marine Corps topics at Marine Forces Reserve, New...

C-17 Globemaster Airdrops Supplies to Navy Nuclear Submarine

A C-17 Globemaster III attached to the Air Force 535th Airlift Squadron delivers a payload to the Ohio-class ballistic-missile...

Army News

Montana National Guard airport coronavirus screening

Montana National Guard to Help with Prison COVID-19 Outbreak

The 67 volunteer soldiers will be assisting officers at the Montana State Prison over the next two weeks.

Soldier fitted for the jacket of the Army Green Service Uniform.

Fort Sill Just Became the First Training Base to Get the New Army Greens Uniform

About 200 soldiers going through Basic Combat Training at Sill were issued a full Army Green Service Uniform.

Virginia Military Institute Superintendent Resigns Amid 'Structural Racism' Probe

Retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III tendered his resignation, and the Board of Visitors accepted it “with deep regret.”

Navy News

A Vietnam veteran listens as Agent Orange expert and military historian Paul Sutton addresses the group during a town hall meeting held at the New Jersey State council, Vietnam Veterans of America, at VFW Post 809 in Little Ferry, N.J., on Sept. 27, 2015. (Jim Anness/Northjersey.com via AP)

VA Says It Has Already Awarded More Than Half a Billion in 'Blue Water Navy' Claims

Nearly half of the more than 69,000 claims for "Blue Water Navy" Agent Orange benefits have been processed.

T-6B Texan II training aircraft assigned to Training Wing (TRAWING) 5 from Pensacola, Fla., are staged on the tarmac at Millington Regional Jetport after being evacuated from their home station in preparation for Hurricane Isaac. (Ty C. Connors/U.S. Navy)

Navy Orders Aviation Stand-Down After Plane Crash Kills 2 in Alabama

The operations halt follows a pair of recent crashes, including one that killed two military officers.

Navy IDs 30-Year-Old Instructor Pilot Killed in Trainer Plane Crash

The second person killed in a military plane that crashed in Alabama on Friday was a Navy instructor pilot, officials...

Air Force News

new body armor units designed for female Airmen

This Air Force Unit Will Be the First to Get Better-Fitting Security Forces Body Armor

The U.S. Air Force is ready to begin fielding body armor specifically designed for female airmen in Security Forces units.

The new arctic survival seat kit for the F-35A Lighting II.

F-35 Pilots in Alaska Get New Extreme Cold Weather Survival Gear

The latest update comes after the Air Force first modified its standard packs for fighter and bomber crews in 2018.

Trial Date Set for Luke Airman in Woman's Murder Case in Arizona

Mark Gooch is being held on a $2 million cash-only bond for first-degree murder.

Marine Corps News

2nd Law Enforcement Battalion retirement ceremony.

Marine Corps Law Enforcement Battalion Preps for Deactivation in Force Reshaping

Leaders with 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion retired the battalion's colors last week during a ceremony at Camp Lejeune.

Camp Pendleton, Calif., sign. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Marine Corps Boots Infantryman Investigated for Sharing Alleged White Supremacist Material

Thomas Cade Martin was separated on Sept. 11, 2020.

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger delivers remarks.

Marine Commandant to Leaders: Quit The 'Soft Relief' of Fired Officers

Commandant Gen. David Berger reminded everyone that they needed to hold Marines accountable with a paper trail.

Coast Guard News