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

U.S. soldiers National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif.

The Army Is Pursuing a Device That Can Turn Battlefield Ditch Water into Lifesaving IV Fluid

U.S. Army medical experts have teamed up with a Colorado-based research firm to create the briefcase-sized device.

Green Beret Colonel Threatened to Kill Wife in Front of Children Before Standoff with Police: Affidavit

Colonel Owen G. Ray has been suspended from his job as I Corps chief of staff pending a law enforcement probe into the case.

The Marine Corps Has Started Fielding 30,000 Rifle Suppressors to Combat Units

Infantry weapons create an incredible amount of noise, but adding suppressors helps muffle their audible signature.

Northrop Grumman Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD)

Plans for Army's Stryker-Mounted Laser Shoot-Off Enter Final Stages

Teams from Northrop Grumman and Raytheon will take their Stryker vehicle prototype to Fort Sill, Oklahoma this spring.

Army Suspends Former 1st Special Forces Group CO after Arrest on Domestic Violence Charges

Army Col. Owen G. Ray is being held in the Pierce County Jail in Tacoma, according to the Pierce County Jail's website.

A soldier aims an XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement weapon system at Aberdeen Test Center, Md. Army photo

5 Army Weapons Soldiers Might Actually Get Their Hands on Soon

Army modernization officials have tested new, longer-range and more precise infantry weapon systems.

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island Facebook page

Fewer Military Recruits Dropped Out of Boot Camp in 2020. Here's Why

Military entry-level training, like most things in 2020, has been anything but normal this year.

The Army's Combat Cloth Face Covering (CCFC). Army photo

Army Announces Plan to Field Camo Face Mask to Soldiers

The Army will begin issuing its official Combat Cloth Face Covering, or CCFC, to new soldiers next year.

Medics at Fort Stewart, Georgia, test a new female combat trauma mannequin

Army Combat Medics Evaluate Lifelike Female Trauma Mannequin

The female mannequin can help train medics in anatomical differences as women make up a growing percentage of the military.

The Army’s Newest Vehicle Is Actually a Heavy-Duty Bridge

The U.S. Army just finished operational testing of a new, mobile assault bridge, designed to cross battlefield barriers.

FORSCOM's then-Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Grinston addresses soldiers in 2018

Widespread Army NCO Shortage a Factor in Leadership Crisis at Fort Hood, General Says

One four-star is wrestling with how to prevent leadership failures at Fort Hood from spreading across the service.

Members of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment load a howitzer as they train in preparation for a National Training Center rotation in 2019

Army Cancels 3rd Cavalry’s Rotation to NTC in Response to Fort Hood Review

The move is to allow it time to rebuild unit cohesion, a problem identified in the independent review of Fort Hood.

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is a tracked armored weapons system named for Gen. Omar Bradley

After Stumble, Army to Restart Design Competition for Bradley Replacement

Army modernization officials are preparing to issue a formal invitation to defense firms to enter the design phase.

Lt. Col. Sean McBride and Command Sergeant Major Mario Salomone

Army Suspends Battalion Commander, Sergeant Major in Korea Amid Racism Allegations

The Army has suspended a battalion commander and command sergeant major in South Korea while an investigation is being...

Unmanned aerial system training exercise at Erbil Air Base.

Congress Wants to Beef Up Army Effort to Develop Counter-Drone Weapons

The Pentagon appointed the Army late last year as the executive agent for DoD's counter-small UAS groups one, two and three.

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