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

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...

World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, shown on March 1, 1945, at an unidentified location, endured himself to U.S. military service members because of his knack of writing about the common soldier.

'The Advantages Were All Theirs': What Famed War Correspondent Ernie Pyle Saw on D-Day

Ernie Pyle was the United States' most well-known war correspondent during World War II, serving as the de facto eyes and...

Landing craft put troops ashore on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

What 'D-Day' Actually Stands For

What the "D" in D-Day actually stands for has been a source of debate almost from the time that the Allies first landed on...

Journalist Martha Gellhorn vacations in Sun Valley, Idaho.

How Martha Gellhorn Became the Only Female Journalist at D-Day

As a female war correspondent, Martha Gellhorn was not allowed to accompany the Allied invasion force that stormed the...

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Most Popular Military News

Vietnam veterans sing during a Vietnam Veterans Day celebration at the Veterans Association of North County, Oceanside

Here Is the 2025 Pay Raise for Disabled Veterans and Military Retirees

Military retirees and disabled veterans will receive 2.5% increases to their monthly paychecks for 2025, thanks to the annual...

Army Says Soldiers Should Avoid Poppy Seeds in Updated Regulation over Drug-Testing Concerns

While poppy seeds are often an ingredient in baked goods and pastries, they also -- depending on how they are harvested and...

Everett Titterington is memorialized at Riverside National Cemetery

'Like Freeing a Ghost': A Sailor's Strange and Wondrous Journey Back from Pearl Harbor

Some service members killed aboard the Oklahoma were identified, but most, like Titterington, were laid in mass graves...

Marine Maj. Joshua Mast, arrives at Circuit Court for a hearing in an ongoing custody battle over an Afghan orphan

Military Board Substantiates Misconduct But Declines to Fire Marine Who Adopted Afghan Orphan

A U.S. Marine whose adoption of an Afghan war orphan has spurred a yearslong legal battle and raised alarms at the highest...

Left: Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia in Iraq in 2004. Right: a Gerber Rex Applegate folding knife.

The Tactical Knife that Saved a Medal of Honor Recipient’s Life During Intense Hand-to-Hand Combat in Iraq

Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia received the Medal of Honor in recognition of his heroic actions during the Second Battle of...

U.S. Marine recites the Oath of Enlistment at Camp Lejeune

Marine Corps Unveils Retention Bonuses, Suspends ‘Broken Service’ Bonus Program for Upcoming Year

Marines reenlisting between now and the end of September 2025 are eligible to receive the bonuses, but all the cash awards...

Latest Military Videos

National Guard Members Deliver Essential Supplies to Remote Mountain Communities Cut off by Helene

As the Black Hawk helicopter slowly descends in Ramseytown, North Carolina, a plume of sand kicks up. When the...

Turkey Sends Military Convoy to Evacuate Its Citizens From Lebanon, Deliver Aid

Turkey has deployed two navy ships to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon amid rising tensions in the region. (Oct...

Israel Military Displays Remnants of Intercepted Iranian Missile

Israel displayed Wednesday one of the Iranian missiles it intercepted during the Oct. 1 attack that saw Iran launch...

North Korea's Kim Warns He Could Use Nuclear Weapons Against South Korea and US

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that he could use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South...

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

Ex-US Army Soldier Asks for Maximum 40 Years in Prison But Gets a 14-Year Term for IS Plot

Cole Bridges was sentenced Friday after a nearly five-hour Manhattan federal court proceeding in which Bridges, a prosecutor...

Gavel and American flag with scales of justice.

Army Veteran Found Guilty in Wife's 2021 Strangulation

Jurors deliberated less than three hours before finding Lee Cuellar guilty of first-degree murder for strangling his wife in...

Navy News

U.S. Navy SEALs conduct Visit, Board, Search and Seizure training

Investigation of SEALs Drowning Also Uncovers Allegations of Performance-Enhancing Drug Use, Secret Surgery

The Navy investigation stressed that "the allegations raised in the complaint were not root causes" of the decision to...

Leader of the New Zealand opposition National Party, Judith Collins, speaks

New Zealand Navy Ship Didn't Sink Because Captain Was a Woman, 'Appalled' Defense Minister Says

New Zealand's defense minister issued stinging rebukes of what she said were “vile” and “misogynistic” online remarks by...

Air Force News

2024 all-Army EOD Team of the Year competition on Fort Liberty

Commander of Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal School Was Fired in July

Lt. Col. David Alexander was relieved "due to a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership ability," a spokesperson for...

New recruits enlist in the Missouri Air National Guard

Prep Courses, Policy Tweaks Largely Drove the Military's Recruiting Success in 2024

Despite the wins this year, between ambitious goals for 2025 and deeper issues relating to Generation Z, the services may not...

Space Force News

Satellite Dish dining facility at Schriever Space Force Base

Troops at Colorado Space Force Base Will Have to Bring Their Own To-Go Boxes for Dining Hall

While the initiative is aimed at reducing waste on base, the spokesperson added that they hope it will give troops on base...

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew, joins Expedition 72 aboard the ISS

Space Force Colonel Becomes First Guardian to Launch into Space on NASA Mission

Col. Nick Hague, a Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut, launched Saturday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in...

Marine Corps News

Mishap drill at Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Hawaii Marine Detained After Dependent Death Still Not Charged More than a Month Later

The dependent died on Sept. 1 aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, or MCBH, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service began an...