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.

Latest Articles

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.

SMA Reveals Timeline for Army’s Independent Review of ACFT

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said he is supportive of lawmakers' concerns that the ACFT needs further study.

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.

U.S. soldiers with the New Jersey National Guard patrol Capitol.

Army Will Not Screen All National Guardsmen Deploying to DC for Extremist Sympathies

The Army will not grant a lawmaker's request to have the service's CID screen National Guard troops deploying to D.C.

U.S. Army soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard.

Pentagon Authorizes as Many as 15,000 Guardsmen to Support Inauguration

Some active-duty units will participate in the inauguration activities, but those units will be ceremonial in nature.

The silhouette of a soldier as he runs to the turnaround point of a 12 mile ruck march.

US Soldier Killed, 2 Others Injured in Vehicle Accident in Kuwait

The identity of the deceased soldier is being withheld until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.

The sign and the main entrance to Fort A.P. Hill.

Pentagon Begins Process to Purge Confederate Names from Military Bases, Property

The NDAA created a commission to put an end to the longstanding U.S. military tradition of honoring Confederate leaders.

Army Plans to Continue ACFT for Now Despite Congressional Order to Halt Testing

The U.S. Army will conduct a congressionally mandated independent study of the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT.

D.C. National Guard display black identification vests.

National Guard Will Wear Black ID Vests to Stand Out from Police During DC Protests

DoD officials voiced concern that the public misidentified law enforcement and federal agents wearing the Army's OCP.

SpecOps Colonel Arrested in Police Standoff Was Subject of Toxic Command Climate Investigation

The 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General dismissed the complaint as "not substantiated."

Troops load up into personnel carriers at the Joint Force Headquarters of the D.C. National Guard.

National Guard to Deploy on DC Streets as Congress Meets to Affirm Biden's Victory

Washington is bracing for protests when Congress meets to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Florida Guardsmen stand ready at the 2017 Presidential Inauguration ceremony at the National Mall.

Thousands of National Guard Troops Prepare to Support Biden's Inauguration

So far, commands from nearly 30 states have pledged to support what has become a huge tradition for the citizen soldiers.

Green Berets conducting urban movement training at Fort Bragg

1st Female Green Beret Faces 'Minor Misdemeanor' Charge for Accidentally Firing Gun, Police Say

The soldier graduated from the Special Forces Q Course, becoming the first woman to earn the Special Forces tab.

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Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), delivers remarks during NETC’s change of command ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, June 18, 2025. The museum recently opened an exhibit honoring Vietnam prisoners of war. (United States Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zachary Melvin)

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President Trump has ordered the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to the waters off the coast of Venezuela.

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Air Force News

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