Stephen Ruiz

Stephen Ruiz is an associate editor and content writer for Military.com. He previously worked for more than 30 years as a copy editor, writer and online producer for various newspapers. Stephen enjoys running, spending time with his girlfriend, Audrea, and dog, Holly, and rooting on his favorite sports teams, including his alma mater, LSU.

Email: stephen.ruiz@military.com.

Latest Articles

The 1912 Army football team was mediocre on the football field but produced some of the best military leaders of the early 20th century.

The Greatest Service Academy Football Lineup in Army-Navy Game History

At least eight of the young men on the 1912 Army football team became highly ranked military officers who led troops in as...

The undefeated 1944 Army football team was led by future Heisman Trophy winners Glenn Davis, left, and Felix ‘Doc’ Blanchard.

80 Years Ago, a Historic Army-Navy Game Captivated a Nation During World War II

The 1944 Army-Navy Game pitted the top two ranked teams in college football that season and raised more than $58 million for...

Three of the Douglas World Cruisers that attempted to become the first to circumnavigate the globe by air are shown in an undated 1924 photo.

How These US Military Aviators Became the First to Fly Around the World

To say the least, the eight Army Air Force aviators who departed Seattle on April 6, 1924, did not face an easy assignment.

Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben helped develop a training program for the Continental Army at Valley Forge during the American Revolution.

How a Prussian Baron Helped the Colonists Win the American Revolution

In a mere two months, soldiers learned how to load and fire a musket quicker and more efficiently, and were introduced to the...

Capt. Roy 'Butch' Voris, a fighter pilot who was credited with shooting down 8 Japanese planes during World War II, served 2 tours as the leader of the Blue Angels.

The World War II Fighter Ace Behind the Navy's Blue Angels

For the rest of his life, the Blue Angel pilots who came after him viewed Voris with reverence -- and with good reason.

The gaping hole, circled, at the 78th and 79th floors of the Empire State Building in New York marks the place where a B-25 Army bomber crashed into the structure on July 28, 1945, killing 14 people. The photo was taken on July 29 after the dense fog that caused the crash dissipated.

The Time an Army Bomber Crashed into the Empire State Building During WWII

The crash, which caused about $1 million in damage (roughly $17.5 million in 2024), represented the first time that an...

Periodontist Theresa Cheng founded Everyone for Veterans in 2017, about a decade after she first began providing free dental care to eligible veterans and their caregivers.

This Dental Nonprofit Will Fix Veterans’ Teeth for Free

Since 2008, nearly 900 veterans and their spouses have had their oral issues through the efforts of Cheng and then E4V.

Shelton 'Ivan' Ware, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, retired as a lieutenant colonel after 32 years of military service.

How This 101-Year-Old Tuskegee Airman Helped Keep the 'Red Ball Express' Running During WWII

Nearly 75% of soldiers assigned to the Red Ball Express were Black, and collectively, they did yeoman's work until the...

Several leis hang around the neck of Elvis Presley after his arrival on March 25, 1961, for a concert to benefit the USS Arizona Memorial Fund.

How Elvis Presley Revitalized Efforts to Build a Pearl Harbor Memorial

Support for a USS Arizona memorial received a huge boost on March 25, 1961, when Elvis Presley performed a benefit concert at...

Most people know Julia Child, here showing off a salade nicoise on Aug. 21, 1978, for her culinary skills, but she also served in the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.

How Julia Child Helped the Navy Develop a Shark Repellent During World War II

While Child was not one of the driving forces behind the U.S. Navy's quest to develop a shark repellent during World War II...

In this image circa 1944, Lt. Archie Williams (2nd from left in front row), who won the 400-meter gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, was part of the Tuskegee Weather Detachment that served with both the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group.

How Jesse Owens' Olympic Teammate Kept the Tuskegee Airmen Safe During World War II

Because of their groundbreaking service in World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were awarded eight Purple Hearts, 14 Bronze...

Mildred Fish-Harnack, a native of Milwaukee, was guillotined on Feb. 16, 1943, by the Nazis for spying.

Why the Only American Killed on Hitler’s Direct Order ‘Couldn’t Turn Her Back on Germany’

When Mildred Fish-Harnack was guillotined on Feb. 16, 1943, she became the only American killed on a direct order from the...

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, who played 2 seasons of college baseball for the Air Force Academy, throws during the 4th inning of a baseball game against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

How the Air Force Academy Molded Paul Skenes into the Biggest Story in Baseball

Coming from a military family, Paul Skenes had a pretty good idea of what awaited him at Basic Cadet Training before his...

Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone's military career suffered greatly after the Union's humiliating defeat at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in Virginia on Oct. 21, 1861, during the Civil War.

How This 'Most Unfortunate' Civil War General Helped Give America the Statue of Liberty

Charles Pomeroy Stone served as the statue’s chief engineer, and in that capacity, he was in charge of overseeing shipments...

Coast Guard Academy graduate Andre Douglas, shown in a portrait taken on Dec. 3, 2021, was among 10 selected for NASA's 2021 Astronaut Candidate Program.

From the Coast Guard to NASA: How Andre Douglas Became a Rarity Among Astronauts

Since NASA introduced its first group of astronauts, the so-called “Mercury 7,” in 1959, Douglas' selection marked only the...

Military News

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.

Thank you for subscribing!

View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

One last step.

Verify your free subscription by following the instructions in the email sent to:

Most Popular Military News

U.S. Navy SEAL candidates participate in BUD/S training.

Navy Drops Disciplinary Efforts Against 2 Navy Officers After Death of SEAL Candidate Kyle Mullen

Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman decided to stop the boards of inquiry for Capt. Brad Geary, the commander of the Navy SEAL training...

SunTrust Bank branch in Sebring, Fla., where five people were shot and killed in 2019

Army Veteran Sentenced to Death for Killing 5 Women at a Florida Bank

Zephen Xaver appeared to gulp but otherwise showed no emotion as Circuit Judge Angela Cowden pronounced the sentence at the...

U.S. Army Col. Christopher J. Kirkpatrick receives the Joint Multinational Readiness Center colors from Brig. Gen. Steven P. Carpenter during a Change of Command Ceremony near Hohenfels, Germany.

More than Half of Senior Army Officers Are Turning Down Command Consideration

More than half of the Army's senior officers are turning down opportunities to command, choosing instead the stability of...

Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division receive the Army Commendation Medal.

Army Set to Debut Master Combat Badges in Spring, Memo Says

The Army is set to begin awarding Master Combat Badges, which will combine expert and traditional combat badges, next spring...

Drone operator helps to retrieve a drone over Hart Island in New York

Pentagon Officials, Aviation Experts Say Many Alleged Drone Sightings Are Being Misidentified

The sightings in New Jersey and elsewhere, which so far remained unconfirmed, have triggered widespread concern and demands...

Coast Guard Cadets march in formation during sea trials at the Academy

House Probe Finds Former Coast Guard Commandant Decided to Withhold Sexual Assault Findings

An interim report into sexual assaults at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and subsequent cover-up of an investigation found the...

Latest Military Videos

Trump Claims Government Knows What Drones Are

In a far-ranging interview news conference, President-elect Donald Trump said the U.S. government "knows what is happening" with the...

Russian Forces Seen Withdrawing Toward Northern Syrian City of Tartus

A lengthy convoy of Russian military vehicles were seen withdrawing from Latakia toward the Syrian city of Tartus on...

Schumer Calls on US Agencies to Use Advanced Technology to Identify Mysterious Drones

After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S...

Mother of American Found in Syria: 'We All Want You Home'

An American citizen who disappeared seven months ago into former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system said he...

Investigations and Features

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...

A patch in the home of retired missileer Paul Hunke

They Stood Sentry over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry It Gave Them Cancer.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston at AER function

Soldiers and Their Families Will Be Eligible for Up to $4,000 in Grants for Emergency Travel

The group, Army Emergency Relief, said it will offer airfare grants of up to $2,000 for domestic travel and $4,000 for...

(Photo courtesy of Chris and Carla Mancilla)

Soldier Reunited with Dog He Met While Deployed Overseas

For eight months, Army Spc. Landon Gnade and his puppy Lepo called Camp Nothing Hill in northern Kosovo home. Before...

Navy News

Mauritius Wants to Rethink a Deal with the UK over Remote Islands Housing a Key US Base

The British government says it still plans to hand over a contested Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a...

Tom Cruise poses with the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award

Tom Cruise Honored by US Navy for His Role in 'Top Gun'

Cruise was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award, which rewards civilians for acts of heroism or support to...

Air Force News

Lessons from the Air Force Kitchen Police: Volunteer for Everything. Even Pots and Pans

When Ed Meagher reported to Air Force basic training on June 15, 1966, he was a 19-year-old college dropout. Despite two...

Graduation at the Air Force Academy, Colorado

The Air Force's Faltering Effort to Get More Diversity Among Officers May Be Out of Time

The diversity targets set in 2022 marked the first time in nearly a decade that the service had amended the benchmarks for...

Space Force News

The U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs, launched a conventional hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Army and Navy Team Up for Hypersonic Missile Launch from Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station had a different kind of launch on its plate Thursday when the Army and Navy teamed up to...

(Photo by Airman 1st Class Shelby Kay-Fantozzi)

Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve

Transgender troops' right to serve -- perhaps even to fight and die for a nation they volunteered to defend -- has been...

Marine Corps News

Former Marine Recruiter Indicted on Federal Sex, Porn Charges

A recruiter for the U.S. Marine Corps held without bond since September on a state sexual battery charge in Mississippi has...

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Henry Dolberry Jr. receives a gift after a change of command ceremony on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan.

Japan Vows to Reduce Okinawa's Burden from Bases as US Marines' Transition to Guam Gets Underway

The Japanese government aims to reduce the burden of hosting U.S. military bases on Okinawa Prefecture while maintaining the...

Coast Guard News

The crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball’s 35-foot, long-range interceptor small boat prepares to conduct a joint search-and-rescue exercise in Kagoshima Bay, Japan, with a Japan Coast Guard AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter aircrew.

US Coast Guard to Participate in First-Ever Drill in Tokyo Bay

The coast guards of Japan, the United States, Australia and India are to conduct their first four-country drill at the Port...