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

The unicorn float enjoys swim call with its shipmates from the USCGC Kimball in August 2020. (U.S. Coast Guard/Coast Guard Kimball)

You Can Find These Surprising Artifacts at the Coast Guard's Museum

The Coast Guard Museum opened its archives to Instagram, showing off some of it most interesting artifacts.

USS Iowa fires a full broadside of her nine 16″ and six 5″ guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. (U.S. Navy/J. Alan Elliott)

Why 50-Year-Old Battleships Were a Critical Part of Operation Desert Storm

The Iraqis thought the US would attack by sea with the blazing force of the battleships' guns.

Concept Design for the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial. ( National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial Association)

The National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial Needs Your Help

With the 30th Anniversary of their war in 2021, Gulf War veterans look for a place of honor on the National Mall.

TRX: The workout you can do anywhere. (TRX Elite)

This Veteran-Founded Fitness Trainer Wants to Help America Get Back in Fighting Shape

TRX is bringing in a cadre of veterans and human performance experts to help military readiness.

“When I first figured out that I won I screamed,” said Sgt. 1st Class Misty Bowman, a 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division soldier who planned to finish out her 20 years in the Army. (U.S. Army)

What Happens When a Military Member Hits a Jackpot?

The prevailing wisdom says a military member has to leave the military when they win the lottery - but that's not necessarily...

Why Separating Veterans Shouldn't Just Take Any Job They Can Get

Why it's better to get the right job than just any job.

U.S. Air Force General Jay Raymond, Commander of Air Force Space Command and Joint Force Space Component Commander, greets SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (U.S. Northern Command)

11 Transition Tips for Vets Who Want to Become Corporate Executives

Just because you didn't start your career in a board room doesn't mean you can't get there.

'Terminal Lance' Creator Max Uriarte Launches New Studio with 3D Animated Short Film 'Frag Out'

"Frag Out" will be the first in a long line of 3D animation by the best-selling author.

A soldier standing guard on the corner of 7th & N Street NW in Washington D.C. with the ruins of buildings that were destroyed during the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Warren K. Leffler/Library of Congress)

6 Times the Military Was Used to Suppress Civilian Uprisings in the US

When local law enforcement can't restore law and order, the US military gets the call.

The Last Widow of a Civil War Soldier Just Died at 101

Helen Viola Jackson married James Bolin in 1936 -- she never remarried.

Hammer, 375th Security Forces Squadron military working dog, sits next to the Ghost Robotics Vision 60. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Shannon Moorehead)

The 10 Strangest and Most Ridiculous Military Stories of 2020

2020 was totally bizarre for everyone, especially the Czech Republic, Namibia, robot dogs and President Trump.

This Nonprofit Gives Free Suits to Transitioning Service Members

Professional attire for honorably discharged and transitioning veterans are just a few clicks away.

Smartwatch App for PTSD-Related Nightmares Now Available by Prescription from VA, DoD

It was created by the son of an Iraq veteran who suffered from PTSD-related nightmares.

These Air Force ‘Rods from God’ Could Hit with the Force of a Nuclear Weapon

These tungsten rods could hit a city with the explosive power of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

That Time an Entire Battle Stopped to Watch Two Soldiers in a Fistfight

There’s just something about two people in a fistfight that’s irresistible to watch.

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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

Larry Rendall Brock Jr., an Air Force veteran seen brandishing zip tie handcuffs during the pro-Trump siege at the U.S...

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.

Obstacle Course II at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego

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.

Latest Military Videos

This Day in History: The Persian Gulf War Begins

This Day in History:, The Persian Gulf War Begins. January 16, 1991. The UN midnight deadline for the Iraqi...

National Guardsman Defending Capitol Doubles as Music Teacher

A member of the National Guard, who is currently defending the Capitol and the District after last week's insurrection...

Fly Along in the Blue Angels Cockpit

Fly along with the Blue Angels with this cockpit video from their flight Saturday over the DC area.

Army News

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...

Marines began receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital on Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

Army Orders Two South Korea Garrisons to 'Shelter in Place' Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The order bans “bubble-to-bubble” travel between Humphreys and Yongsan.

White Army Vet Charged in Shooting Black Girl at Trump Rally

Michael McKinney, 25, who was heavily armed and wearing body armor, told police he fired the shot in self-defense.

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

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 .

Aviano Airman's Death Was from Coronavirus, Family and Friends Say

Morris' awards include four Air Force Commendation Medals, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals and one Iraq Campaign Medal.

Prosecutor: Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in Capitol Riot Aimed 'To Take Hostages'

Brock was arrested in Texas after being photographed on the Senate floor during the deadly riot.

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

Here's What It Was Like to Be a Marine Turned Journalist Capturing the US Capitol Assault

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

Coast Guard News