Blake Stilwell

Blake Stilwell is a former Air Force combat photographer with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations and Middle Eastern Affairs. Instead of using those, he (eventually) became a writer. His work has appeared on Business Insider, Military Times, We Are The Mighty, Fox News, ABC News, NBC Sports, HBO Boxing, and at the White House. Blake is based in Los Angeles but is often found elsewhere.

Email: Blake.Stilwell@Military.com

Latest Articles

Everything You Need to Know About the US Army's 'Buffalo Soldiers'

The Army units that would come to be known as "Buffalo Soldiers" were created during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era.

Gene Hackman in the "French Connection."

Famous Veteran: Gene Hackman

"I have trouble with direction, because I have trouble with authority. I was not a good Marine."

(U.S. Army/Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Drumsta)

4 Tools for Separating Veterans Looking for Work, Created by Hiring Our Heroes

Today, veteran unemployment sits at 3.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

You're going to live in fear of this hat for a few weeks, but it doesn't have to be that bad. (U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Roxanna Ortiz)

6 Tips for Basic Trainees Who Want to Keep Their Drill Instructors Happy

Any veteran will tell you that -- in retrospect -- basic training is physically demanding but actually not as hard as it...

Marines of Company D, 2nd Light Armored Infantry Battalion, stand guard with their LAV-25 light armored vehicles outside a destroyed Panamanian Defense Force building during the first day of Operation Just Cause. (National Archives/Photographer's Hand 1st Class Elliott)

How Operation Just Cause, the US Invasion of Panama, Ousted a Dictator

Former Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia is the first living veteran of the Iraq War to receive the Medal of Honor, and only the sixth U.S. servicemember to receive the nation’s highest award for combat valor for actions in Iraq. His speech at the Pentagon is going viral on TikTok.(U.S. Army/Sgt. Kevin Roy)

A Medal of Honor Recipient's Speech at the Pentagon Is Going Viral on TikTok

It's a speech that's on par or better than any motivational speech ever written by speechwriters, generals or even Hollywood...

Dr. Rory Cooper demonstrates a robotic arm developed at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, which he directs. (Courtesy of HERL)

A Paralyzed Veteran Holds 25 Patents for Improving Wheelchair Technology

An accident during Rory Cooper's service would propel him to use his education to help disabled people the world over.

Sorry, this is not the salisbury steak seen in your local DFAC. (Robert Loescher)

Salisbury Steak Was Supposed to Be a Cure-All for Union Troops in the Civil War

James H. Salisbury was both the doctor you want and the doctor you should definitely not listen to, but in his day, he was as...

Tempest Droneworx founder Ty Audronis works on building a new multicopter drone. The drone is just one piece of a revolutionary new data aggregation technology. (Courtesy of Ty Audronis)

A Navy Veteran Built New Technology to Aid Wildfire Prevention and Disaster Relief

Harbinger is software that combines a 1950s idea with the latest in sensors and communications technology.

A Study of Worker Retention in 'the Great Resignation' Can Help Veterans Find Fulfilling Employment

Despite fears of a global recession and mass layoffs in the American tech sector, The Great Resignation is still ongoing.

Phil Bucklew trained special operators for three wars after winning football championships. (Xavier University)

How a National Football Champion Became 'The Father of Naval Special Warfare'

In 1942, Phil Bucklew and nine other naval warfare pioneers trained to perform amphibious assaults before the U.S. had any...

Veterans Can Now Experience the Smell of Freedom Long After Leaving the Military

If jet fuel sounds like an odd scent choice for a candle company, think again.

A Marine Predicted All of World War II in the Pacific 20 Years Before Pearl Harbor

When people think of World War II Marines, they probably think of John Basilone, "Pappy" Boyington or Chesty Puller. It's...

World War II Gave the NFL One of Its Greatest Defensive Players of All Time

From 1949 to 1962, "Concrete Charlie" was one of the most feared linebackers in the NFL.

332nd pilots at the 1949 Air Force 'Top Gun' Aerial Gunnery Competition. (U.S. Air Force)

The Tuskegee Airmen Won the First Air Force 'Top Gun' Aerial Gunnery Competition

Lt. Col. James Harvey, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, called winning the Air Force's "Top Gun" competition in 1949 "the...

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Most Popular Military News

A General Warned of an Impending War with China. Airmen Under His Command Say it Was 'Inappropriate'

Mike Minihan, a four-star general who has led Air Mobility Command since 2021, has been known for his loud, proud and high...

Tugboats move the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

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U.S. Marines place flowers on gravesites of fallen service members during a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony at Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia, May 28, 2018. (U.S. Air Force photo/Monica Roybal)

VA Wants Vets to Use Their Benefits When Choosing a Final Resting Place

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Gombi, a military working dog, was retired and adopted at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany.

Base Retires Working Dog After a Half-Decade Sniffing Out Threats, Including 7 Million Pounds of Narcotics

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Latest Military Videos

Master Class: Finding the Federal Job 2.0

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US Weighs in on Government Shake-up in Kyiv

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French Soldiers Hold Combat Exercise in Romania

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Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol

What Happened to Members of the Military Accused of Storming the Capitol on January 6?

At least five service members allegedly were part of the deadly pro-Trump mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Army News

a banner in recognition of IPPS-A reaching live status in half of the ARNG's 54 states and territories

Hundreds More Soldiers Kicked off Tricare in Yet Another IT Blunder

Hundreds of soldiers in the Army might need to re-enroll in Tricare after yet another technical blunder caused them to be...

Spc. Salem Ezz, speaks about his idea about a mold awareness tool.

How an Infantryman Coder Is Combating Mold in the Barracks with Tech

Spc. Salem Ezz built a series of sensors from scratch that can track humidity in barracks and report conditions for mold in...

Navy News

Former US Navy Captain Sentenced in 'Fat Leonard' Scandal

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Cmdr. Janet Days receives a meritorious service medal.

Naval Station Norfolk Welcomes 1st Black Female Commanding Officer

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Air Force News

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont.

China: Balloon Over US Skies Is for Research, Wind Pushed It

The Pentagon decided not to shoot down the balloon, which was potentially flying over sensitive sites, because of concerns of...

Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman test.

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Space Force News

Hundreds of Gallons of Diesel Spilled at Space Force Observatory Atop Hawaiian Volcano

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U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado poses with U.S. Air Force airmen.

Democrat Threatens to Hold Up Pentagon Nominees over Space Command HQ Decision

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet voted against confirming Brendan Owens as assistant secretary of defense for energy and...

Marine Corps News

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A U.S. Marine maneuvers to an objective at Hawthorne Army Depot.

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Folds of Honor provides scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled service members.

Coast Guard News

Rear Adm. William Kelly, Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy.

Retiring Coast Guard Academy Superintendent to Take Presidency at Virginia University

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Tug boats have the Spirit of Norfolk in tow under Coast Guard supervision

Spirit of Norfolk Hearings: Combustible Material in Engine Room Fueled Fire Aboard Cruise Ship, ATF Agent Testifies

The Spirit of Norfolk caught fire during a cruise down the Elizabeth River on June 7, 2022, while 108 people were on board...