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 Coast Guard cutter Campbell's crew is shown with its shipmate and mascot, Sinbad, in the North Atlantic in 1943.

One of the Most Popular Coast Guardsmen in History Was This Beloved Dog

One of the most popular U.S. Coast Guardsmen in the history of the service had a tendency to sleep while on duty, did not...

John Wayne signs autographs for Marines at the 1st Marine Division Headquarters Building in Vietnam in 1966.

John Wayne's Transformative Visit to US Troops in Vietnam

While Wayne traveled to Southeast Asia, anti-war protests, draft-card burnings and marches decrying American troops’...

A KC135R Stratotanker from the 100th Aerial Refueling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, depicts nose art with a cartoon dog in a train called the ‘Wabash Cannonball.’

Aircraft, Flight Jackets and Pins: How Walt Disney's Characters Inspired Troops in WWII

During World War II, the company that has grown to become an entertainment, theme-park and merchandising empire today created...

Cornelia Fort was a civilian instructor pilot at an airfield near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941.

How the First Female Pilot to Die on Active Duty with the US Military Cultivated Her Love of Flying

Women Airforce Service Pilots, created in August 1943 after WAFS and WFTD merged, flew at 126 military bases, handling 80% of...

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...

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

Troop Pardons Set to Complicate Military's Muddled Response to Jan. 6

As Trump prepares to take office Monday, he has vowed to move quickly on a key campaign promise to pardon many, if not all...

Before January 10, 2025 this display of pregame patriotism was actually against Defense Department policy. (U.S. Marine Corps/ Sgt. Lillian Stephens)

Service Members Are No Longer Banned from Displaying the American Flag Horizontally at Major Events

It might come as a surprise, but U.S. service members weren't technically allowed to unfurl giant U.S. flags at major events...

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth at Fort Jackson

In Her Final Days in Office, Army Secretary Formally Establishes Service's Command Review Program

The service's Command Assessment Program was established to remove bias from the selection process for command billets.

Matthew Livelsberger's Widow Breaks Silence, Refutes 'Misinformation About My Family'

The widow of Matthew Livelsberger — the Colorado Springs Green Beret who died by suicide in a rented Tesla Cybertruck seconds...

The Battle over Veterans’ Health Care: How the Republican Majority Hopes to Reshape the VA

With the new Congress sworn in and President-elect Trump poised for his second inauguration, Republicans have queued up a...

Sen. Joni Ernst speaks at the SASC confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth

Combat Veteran, Sexual Assault Survivor Senator Backs Hegseth for Defense Secretary

In an interview with a radio station in her home state, followed by a written statement, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, announced...

Latest Military Videos

President-Elect Donald Trump Pays Respects To Former President Jimmy Carter in the Capitol Rotunda

President-elect Donald Trump, who has alternated among praising, criticizing and even mocking Jimmy Carter, came Wednesday to the Capitol...

Ukraine President Says Deadly Russian Strike On Zaporizhzhia ‘Absolutely Deliberate'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's latest attack on Zaporizhzhia, which killed at least 13 people and injured around...

Why Greenland? Remote but Resource-Rich Island Occupies Key Position in Warming World

Remote, icy and mostly pristine, Greenland plays an outsized role in the daily weather experienced by billions of people...

Denmark Prime Minister Responds After Trump Refuses To Rule Out Taking Control of Greenland

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the US Denmark’s “most important and closest ally" in response to President-elect Donald...

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

Veterans Affairs signage. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Veteran’s Ex-Wife Tried Hiding Divorce After He Died to Steal His VA Benefits, Feds Say

A U.S. Army veteran’s ex-wife insisted she was his surviving spouse after he died so she could steal his military benefits...

Bob Uecker greets the crowd at Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee before a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks in October 2011. (Department of Defense/Courtesy of Steve Paluch)

Bob Uecker, Army Veteran and Longtime Baseball Announcer, Dies at 90

Before becoming a Baseball Hall of Famer, Uecker played the sport in high school and in the Army before landing a gig in the...

Navy News

Signage is seen at the CNN Center in Atlanta

Florida Jury Says CNN Defamed Navy Veteran in Story About Endangered Afghans

The jury awarded Zachary Young $5 million in damages and is now being asked to determine whether CNN must pay additional...

Alex Marquardt attends the Endometriosis Foundation of America's Ninth Annual Blossom Ball

Defamation Case Against CNN over Afghan Evacuation Report Goes to a Jury

A Florida jury will decide whether CNN defamed a U.S. Navy veteran in a 2021 report on how Afghans were being charged...

Air Force News

Dr. Troy E. Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office

Trump Names Former KC-135 Navigator, Spy Agency Official to Be Next Air Force Secretary

Trump said on social media that Troy Meink, currently the principal director of the National Reconnaissance Office, was his...

Troop Pay Is Competitive with Civilian Workers, Pentagon Finds in Quadrennial Review

The Quadrenial Review of Military Compensation was unveiled and reported that "the department's compensation package is...

Space Force News

Trump Names Former KC-135 Navigator, Spy Agency Official to Be Next Air Force Secretary

Trump said on social media that Troy Meink, currently the principal director of the National Reconnaissance Office, was his...

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall presents the keynote address

Air Force Secretary Kendall's Parting Advice: Military Needs a 'Much More Powerful Space Force'

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has less than a week left on the job and, on Monday, he took the opportunity to offer his...

Marine Corps News

Gen. Eric M. Smith departs an UH-Y at Marine Corps Base Camp Schwab on Okinawa

'Going the Wrong Way:' Booting Marines from Okinawa Could Embolden China, Commandant Says

Gen. Eric Smith said the planned transfer of Okinawa-based Marines to Guam in the coming years will distance the force from a...