Matthew Cox

Matthew Cox has been a defense reporter since 1998. He covers 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.

Email: matthew.cox@military.com

Latest Articles

Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy speaks at a COVID-19 briefing.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to Leave Post on Inauguration Day

John Whitley, assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller, will serve as the acting secretary.

Army IDs 2 Fort Bliss Soldiers Killed in Separate Vehicle Accidents

Two 1st Armored Division soldiers died over the weekend in vehicle-related accidents outside of Fort Bliss, Texas.

Staff Sgt. John D. S. Bailey was found dead at his Fort Bliss residence Jan. 14, 2021

Army IDs 1st Armored Division Staff Sergeant Found Dead at Fort Bliss Home

The U.S. Army has identified a 1st Armored Division staff sergeant from Fort Bliss, Texas found dead at his home Thursday.

Pfc. Asia Graham died Dec. 31 after being found unresponsive in her barracks room at Fort Bliss, Texas. Pfc. Christian G. Alvarado, another Fort Bliss soldier, will face a general court-martial on charges that he raped Graham a year earlier. (Army)

Fort Bliss Soldier Charged with Raping Fellow Soldier a Year Before Her New Year's Eve Death

A 1st Armored Division soldier at Fort Bliss, Texas has been charged with sexually assaulting three women over the past year...

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jessica Ann Mitchell.

Army Offers $25,000 Cash Reward for Tips on Drill Sergeant's Murder

Staff Sgt. Jessica Ann Mitchell "was shot to death in her vehicle," according to a CID news release.

U.S. Soldiers with the New Jersey National Guard.

43 National Guard Troops in DC for Inauguration Test Positive for COVID-19

The spike in cases comes as the Pentagon has increased the Guard authorization for inauguration security in D.C. to 25,000.

Members of the National Guard patrol outside the Capitol Building.

Military Pledges Proper Housing for Troops in DC as National Guard Force Grows to 25,000

The DoD announced that it has increased the number of National Guard troops authorized for inauguration security to 25,000.

A recent report by the Air Force's Air Education and Training Command revealed leadership gaps in a high-pressure, high-tempo training environment, leading to unsafe practices that included alcohol consumption. (US Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Alaska Bases Limit Alcohol Sale Hours to Curb Drinking-Related Suicides

U.S. military commanders in Alaska have ordered alcohol sales to cease after 10 p.m. on two bases .

Members of the New Jersey Army National Guard.

A Fake National Guard Memo Warning of Nationwide Lockdown Is Circulating Again

The document first began circulating in March as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in America.

Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center.

Lawmakers Ask Army to Send Cots for National Guard in US Capitol

The troops are pulling 12-hour security shifts, officials have said, and are permitted to rest or sleep when not on duty.

Staff Sgt. Eric Kuper of the D.C. National Guard U.S. Capitol

‘This Is What I Took an Oath For:’ Guard Troops Shore Up DC in Wake of Violent Siege

Hundreds of National Guard troops on emergency mobilization orders began arriving Thursday to reinforce security in the city.

Army to Oust Lieutenant for Making Holocaust Jokes on TikTok

Freihofer, an artillery officer who has 3.8 million followers on TikTok, had been under investigation for months.

Members of the National Guard rest in the Visitor Center of the U.S. Capitol.

Guard Troops Photographed Napping in Capitol Were on Break, Army Official Says

Photos of troops sprawled under busts of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln raced across Twitter and other social media.

Army Identifies NCO Killed in Vehicle Accident in Kuwait

The accident, which is under investigation, injured two other soldiers, who were not identified in the release.

DC National Guard walk around the Capitol grounds

Pentagon Authorizes National Guard Troops Around Capitol to Carry Lethal Weapons

The National Guard Bureau declined to specify what weapons troops would carry.

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Most Popular Military News

breaching the Capitol building during a riot

Active-Duty Troops Who Participated in the Capitol Siege Could Face These Penalties

As DoD officials look into reports of military participants, legal experts weigh in on what charges they might face.

A protester screams "Freedom" inside the Senate chamber.

Navy Career of 'QAnon Shaman' Ended After He Refused Anthrax Vaccine

Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, a 33-year-old Navy veteran, refused to take the anthrax vaccine while in the Navy.

Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Arrested, Charged in Capitol Riot

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Capt. Emily Rainey speaks during an interview

Army Investigates Fort Bragg Soldier for Attending Rally That Ended in US Capitol Breach

Capt. Emily Rainey is scheduled to leave the Army in April after resigning her commission over earlier incidents.

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Female DIs Who Served at Marines' All-Male Boot Camp Say They Were Brought Out for VIP Visits, But Limited in Training Recruits

The Marine Corps hit a milestone when three women completed drill instructor school at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

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FBI Conducting Massive Vetting Ahead of Inauguration

FBI Conducting Massive Vetting Effort Ahead of Inauguration

With more than 20,000 National Guard members in DC ahead of the inauguration, the FBI is conducting a massive...

Meet Woman Guard Member Driving 'Wrecker' In D.C.

There are many security checkpoints around the Capitol, and as you can see behind me, they are armed.

Army News

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to Leave Post on Inauguration Day

John Whitley, assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller, will serve as the acting secretary.

National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

US Soldier Arrested in Plot to Blow Up NYC 9/11 Memorial

Cole James Bridges of Stow, Ohio, was in custody on charges of attempted material support of a terrorist organization.

National Guard troops reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill.

Two Guard Members Pulled from Inauguration Detail for Alleged Ties to Fringe Groups

The officials did not say which fringe group the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in.

Navy News

USS Normandy sailors heave a mooring line.

US Calls Bahrain, UAE 'Major Security Partners'

The U.S. military's Central Command and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to the White House designation.

Diary Shows How Quest for Love Landed Navy Vet in Iran Jail

A handwritten journal he wrote behind bars offers new details about his ordeal in Iran.

USS Shiloh moored pierside in Yokosuka, Japan

Family Separation Allowance Now Covers COVID-19 Restriction of Movement Orders on Ships

The new rule mainly affects Navy, Marine and Coast Guard members

Air Force News

An OC-135 Open Skies aircraft parked on a ramp at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska Sept. 14, 2018.

Russia Follows US to Withdraw from Open Skies Treaty

The Open Skies pact is one of three major treaties Washington abandoned under the Trump administration.

The mobile launcher atop crawler-transporter 2 moves to launch pad

NASA Cuts Short Hot Fire Test of Artemis I Core Stage

It’s the eighth and final test in the series of Green Run tests for the core stage since arriving to Stennis.

An airman stands in formation during a SERE Specialist Apprentice Course graduation ceremony.

After Training Changes, Air Force SERE School Sees Near-Historic Low Attrition

Typically, about half of each class washes out during the final apprentice course because of its demanding nature.

Marine Corps News

An Army soldier plays taps in the Cypress Hills National Cemetery.

Dorothy Schmidt Cole, Oldest Living Marine, Dies at 107

Cole enlisted as one of the earliest female Marine reservists following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar (Army Photo)

SEAL Pleads Guilty to Role in Hazing Death of Green Beret

He is the third of four U.S. service members — two SEALs and two Marines — to face a court martial for the death of Melgar.

Man in Marine Corps hoodie at U.S. Capitol riot

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Chris Jones, 29, says the event shook him to his core but he wasn't surprised by it.

Coast Guard News