Blake Stilwell

Blake Stilwell is a former Air Force combat photographer with degrees and experience in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations and Middle Eastern Affairs. Instead of using any of that, he (eventually) became a writer. His work has appeared in Recoil Magazine, Military Times, Coffee or Die, Skillset Magazine, and more. Blake is based in Ohio but is often found elsewhere.

Email: Blake.Stilwell@Military.com

Latest Articles

In this Jan. 2, 1978, file photo, University of Washington quarterback Warren Moon poses with coach Don James after the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Joel McHale to Narrate New Documentary About Army Vet and Legendary College Football Coach Don James

College football fans -- especially fans of Alabama's Crimson Tide -- owe a lot to a coach they may have never heard of.

"Don't you see the point?" From Harper's Weekly, August 29, 1863.

'Tis Not Our War': Why Most Americans Dodged the Civil War Draft and Deserted the Union Army

It's not hard to understand why so many Americans join the military during a time of crisis.

When he first went into the spirits industry, Merica Bourbon founder Derek Sisson was paid in wine. (Famous Brands)

How Merica Bourbon's Founder Leveraged Years of Work Experience to Start His Own Line of Products

Marine Corps veteran Derek Sisson is the CEO of Texas-based Famous Brands, which includes his flagship Merica Bourbon, as...

A Ukrainian marksman took the top spot in 2023 with a shot over 2.36 miles away. (Ukraine SBU)

The 5 Longest-Distance Sniper Kills in Military History

The top five longest-distance confirmed sniper kills all came from shots fired at more than a mile away, with the top two...

Wally Amos receives hugs from children at the Hickam Air Force Base Child Development Center after reading to them Sept. 10, 2007. Amos was an actor, writer and original entrepreneur behind the Famous Amos cookie brand. He was also an advocate of literacy and early childhood development, and served in the Air Force four years. (U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)

Air Force Veteran and Beloved 'Famous Amos' Founder Wally Amos Dies at 88

On top of his serial entrepreneurship and tireless advocacy, Amos also served in the U.S. Air Force for four years, spending...

President Donald J. Trump presents the Medal of Freedom Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Amy Rossetti)

Medal of Honor, Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal: What's the Difference?

Former President Donald Trump rankled many U.S. service members and veterans at a recent campaign event where he compared the...

Service Members and Veterans Can Now Enter to Win a Free Las Vegas Wedding

Active-duty U.S. service members, retirees and veterans (without a dishonorable discharge) with more than one year of service...

(U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Siuta B. Ika)

How Owners In Honor Is Turning Veterans into Business Owners Within a Year

Houston-based Owners In Honor is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting American veterans through business ownership and...

A soldier in Basic Combat Training with C Company, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment brushes his teeth after eating a MRE on a bitter cold morning at the Victory Forge field training exercise on Fort Jackson, S.C. Victory Forge is the culminating event just before graduation for soldiers in basic combat training at Fort Jackson and is the first time soldiers are introduced to living in a field environment. (U.S. Army/Sgt. 1st Class Brian Hamilton)

You Can Thank the US Army for Americans Brushing Their Teeth Daily

It was only after World War II that returning U.S. troops, who were forced to brush their teeth as part of the U.S. Army's...

Hadden Clark is currently serving two 30-years sentences for murder. (Montgomery County Sheriff's Department)

Michael Bay Docuseries 'Born Evil' Examines the Crimes of Navy Vet and Serial Killer Hadden Clark

A new five-part, three-night miniseries from Investigation Discovery and producer Michael Bay sets out to reveal the extent...

"Rebel Ridge," starring Aaron Pierre and Don Johnson comes to Netflix on Sept. 6, 2024. (Netflix)

A Marine Corps Veteran Goes to War with Corrupt Local Cops in 'Rebel Ridge'

Every generation of U.S. military veterans seems to get some form of the "veterans versus corrupt authorities" story.

An image from the trailer for the upcoming Taiwanese TV series "Zero Day." (Zero Day Cultural and Creative Co.)

'Zero Day': New 10-Part Series Imagines What a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Might Actually Look Like

Each of “Zero Day’s” 10 episodes depicts an independent aspect of Taiwanese life affected by the fictionalized invasion, as...

"Veterans Row" is an encampment of unhoused U.S. military veterans living outside the West Los Angeles VA campus. (Nancy Loo via X)

New Documentary Follows LA Veterans Who Face Homelessness, Hopelessness and Hunger While the VA Fails to Act

The documentary is one part of "Home of the Brave," a seven-part series about the VA campus from independent studio Long Lead...

Lt. William L. Calley, Jr., pictured during his court martial at Fort Benning, Ga., on April 23, 1971. Calley, who as an Army lieutenant led the U.S. soldiers who killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai massacre, the most notorious war crime in modern American military history, died on April 28 at a hospice center in Gainesville, Fla., The Washington Post reported Monday July 29, 2024, citing his death certificate. He was 80. (AP Photo/Joe Holloway, Jr., File)

War Criminal or Scapegoat: William Calley and the Enduring Memory of the My Lai Massacre

Former Army Lt. William Calley Jr., who died in April, was the only U.S. service member convicted for participating in what...

Michael Foster of Active Duty Passive Income

'Military House Hacking' Wants to Reshape Your Definition of Retirement

The military teaches its troops financial "readiness," but that doesn't necessarily mean financial success. This group of...

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