Tom Philpott

Tom Philpott has been breaking news for and about military people since 1977. After service in the Coast Guard, and 17 years as a reporter and senior editor with Army Times Publishing Company, Tom launched "Military Update," his syndicated weekly news column, in 1994. "Military Update" features timely news and analysis on issues affecting active duty members, reservists, retirees and their families. Tom's freelance articles have appeared in numerous magazines including The New Yorker, Reader's Digest and Washingtonian.

Book Image of Glory Denied by Tom Philpott

His critically-acclaimed book, Glory Denied, on the extraordinary ordeal and heroism of Col. Floyd "Jim" Thompson, the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.

To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email milupdate@aol.com or twitter: @Military_Update.

Latest Articles

Isakson Vows 'Blue Water' Relief; Trump Inflates Choice

Still no solution on extending benefits for sailors affected by agent orange, and Choice act gets some funding

Military youth outreach Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph

'Myths' Seen Distorting Military’s Image with Nation’s Youth

Years of war, TV spots depicting wounded warriors' struggles and curbs on advertising budgets have left the military with an...

Military Retirees to Gain Access to Wider Menu of Dental Plans

Retirees must switch to the new plan by November. Vision coverage will also be available for all TRICARE users.

Congress Expands VA Caregiver Plan, Streamlines Non-VA Care

Bill includes major expansion of VA's caregiver program and makes VA CHOICE program permanent.

Customers bag groceries at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. (U.S. Air Force/Joshua Arends)

As Commissary Sales Plummet, Pentagon Seeks 21 Percent Subsidy Cut

The fiscal 2020 defense budget asks Congress to slash funding for commissaries by $271 million, or 21 percent.

Senior Woman Comforting Man With Depression At Home

Senators Urge VA Not to Fumble Expansion of Caregiver Benefits

"VA continues to miss deadlines and not get it right," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

Lt. Gen. Charles G. Chiarotti, left, deputy commandant, Installations and Logistics, and Phyllis L. Bayer, center, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and the environment, tour privatized military housing with spouses during a visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, on Feb. 15, 2019. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isaiah Gomez)

Personnel Chiefs Blame Unsafe Housing on Leadership Failures

Commands across the military had not been attentive enough to the performance of housing contractors, officials said.

Use Scalpel, Not Cleaver, on Medical Billets, USUHS Chief Urges

The president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences worries about cuts to uniformed medical billets.

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

VA Secretary Urged to Heed Vet Groups over Access to Community Care

Many worry VA and White House will ignore warnings of veteran groups and adopt liberal access standards for community care.

Rep. Adam Smith speaks to the crowd at an election night party for Democrats on Nov. 6, 2018, in Bellevue, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

New Armed Services Committee Chairman Puts White House on Notice

Rep. Adam Smith says Congress must do a better job of holding the president accountable on misinformation.

'Blended' Military Retirement Plan Not as Popular as Projected

Only 280,000 active-duty members and just over 72,000 reserve component personnel chose to shift out of the High-3 plan.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Scott Henry monitors Naval Aircrewman Mechanical 1st Class David Gilbert’s heart at Naval Hospital Jacksonville’s Urology Clinic. (U.S. Navy/Jacob Sippel)

More Than 17,000 Uniformed Medical Jobs Eyed for Elimination

The reduction will allow those billets to be repurposed as war fighters or combat-support skills to increase lethality.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Dalia Theodule, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief executive assistant, researches the Blended Retirement System at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, on Jan. 31, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class D. Blake Browning)

Final Opt-In Rates for Blended Retirement Yield More Surprises

Comparisons across branches show the singular effectiveness of the Marine Corps' approach to deepening interest in the BRS.

Hospital emergency room sign. Getty Images

VA Misleads Vets on Non-VA Emergency Care, Lawsuit Contends

The VA has been wrongly denying claims and discouraging appeals, according to a lawsuit.

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11) steams in the South China Sea on Sept. 13, 1966, with aircraft of Attack Carrier Air Wing 10 (CVW-10) parked on the flight deck. CVW-10 was assigned to the Intrepid for a deployment to Vietnam from April 4 to Nov. 21, 1966. V.O. McColley/Navy

Appeals Court Gives Blue Water Vets the Win Congress Denied

Unless the Supreme Court reverses the decision, Blue Water veterans have won a victory denied them for two decades.

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Most Popular Military News

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., left, confronts House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Federal Government Shutdown Grinds into a Second Week as Tempers Flare at the Capitol

As the federal government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questions U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Trump Targets Blumenthal, Calling for Investigation into Senator's Vietnam Service Claims

President Donald Trump is targeting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal again after Connecticut’s senior U.S. senator grilled U.S...

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator (DVIDS).

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Pack and transport platoon of the Russian army. Southern Military District. Ministry of Defense of Russia (Wikimedia Commons).

Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Cavalry Troops in Rare 21st-Century Encounter

A short video circulating online this month appears to show a Russian mounted patrol being struck by a Ukrainian drone near...

When The Government Can Afford Everything Except The Essentials

Every shutdown forces the government to decide what counts as “essential.” Air traffic controllers and TSA agents fall into...

Troops Will Miss Paychecks Next Week Without Action on the Government Shutdown

The federal government shutdown is raising anxiety levels among service members and their families, because those in uniform...

Latest Military Videos

Israel Carries Out a Series of Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon

Israel's army carried out a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting a cement plant and a...

Released Palestinians Describe Harsh Conditions in Israeli Prisons

The release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees offers a rare glimpse into the immediate health impacts of...

5 Incredible Navy Cross Recipients

Here are the stories of five incredible Navy Cross recipients.

Missing Bodies of Hostages Top List of Uncertainties as Fragile Gaza Ceasefire Holds

After the release of the last living hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza was holding Tuesday...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

Army Capt. Jeremy Kuykendall and his wife Kate, cradle their daughter

Unsupervised: Military Child Care Centers Slow to Report Abuse with Little Oversight

A Military.com investigation into military day care centers revealed that service branch rules generally prioritize...

Army News

U.S. Army soldiers launch a drone at Yakima Training Center, Washington, July 2025. The Army is creating specialized multifunctional reconnaissance companies that integrate drones, electronic warfare systems, and traditional reconnaissance capabilities. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon)

How Ukraine’s Drone War Is Forcing the U.S. Army to Rewrite Its Battle Doctrine

The Army is overhauling how it fights in combat based on lessons from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where drones have become...

Thousands of U.S. Government E-mails Exposed on the Dark Web — Including White House and Pentagon Accounts

NordVPN says thousands of U.S. government email addresses, including some tied to the White House, State Department and...

Navy News

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters.

US Will Send Survivors of Strike on Suspected Drug Vessel Back to Ecuador and Colombia, Trump Says

After Trump’s announcement, the Pentagon posted on X a brief black-and-white video of the strike.

US Commander Overseeing Fatal Strikes Against Alleged Drug Boats Off Venezuela Will Retire

The commander of U.S. military operations in the region where forces have been attacking alleged drug boats says he will...

Air Force News

What We Know About the Devastating Alaska Storm and the Evacuation Effort

Hundreds of residents from remote Alaska Native villages are being airlifted after a storm battered their communities.

The F-80C was more than a match for the propeller-driven fighters of the North Korean Air Force but suffered from short range when flying from Japanese air bases (U.S. Air Force photo).

Lessons from the Korean War: How Air Combat Then Still Shapes U.S. Tactics Today

When the Korean War began in 1950, the United States entered a new era of air combat it barely understood. Pilots trained for...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance watch a demonstration by Marines.

Plan to Fire Artillery Over a California Highway During JD Vance Base Visit Irks Governor

Camp Pendleton officials said there was nothing unsafe about the artillery exercise and no need to disrupt traffic on...

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and the U.S. Marine Corps successfully demonstrated the NMESIS off the California Coast (NavalNews.com)

Okinawa Marines Hone Littoral Edge with NMESIS

NMESIS itself is a game-changer: a mobile, ground-based launcher packing two stealthy Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles with a...

Coast Guard News

Faulty Engineering Led to Implosion of Titan Submersible Headed to Titanic Wreckage, NTSB Finds

Faulty engineering led to the implosion of an experimental submersible that killed five people on the way to the wreck of the...

A Philadelphia Fire Department fire boat streams water as the USS Lassen passes by at the start of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, Parade of Ships, as seen from Navy Yard, south Philadelphia.

A Grand Parade of Ships Kicked off the 250th Anniversary of the Marines and Navy

Hundreds of veterans, active service members, families of the lost, and dignitaries came to Mustin Field at the Navy Yard on...