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

B-17 Flying Fortresses fly over Hungary during World War II.

How a World War II Tail Gunner Survived a Midair Collision Without a Parachute

Sgt. James Raley's account came almost three months to the day after he improbably survived that fall from the skies over...

Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart lost his left eye and left hand, as well as part of his left ear, during World War I but continued on during his military career.

'The Unkillable Soldier' Who Kept Fighting Despite Losing an Eye and Hand in World War I

Carton de Wiart died in 1963 at the age of 83, but his exploits have inspired generations of service members in the United...

Marine Capt. Joe Foss is shown with his cigar beside his plane at his base somewhere in the South Pacific.

The WWII Fighter Ace and Medal of Honor Recipient Who Helped Give America the Super Bowl

When Joe Foss -- then the commissioner of the upstart AFL -- sent a letter to his NFL counterpart, Pete Rozelle, in December...

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...

A fraudulent Medal of Honor was seized by the FBI in 1996 and is pictured on the right, next to a legitimate Medal of Honor.

The Medal of Honor Fraud Case that Took Stolen Valor to the Extreme

H.L.I. Lordship Industries of Long Island, New York, admitted to selling unauthorized versions of the Medal of Honor, the...

Drummer boy Willie Johnston was a few days shy of his 12th birthday during the Seven Days' Battle in Virginia and received the Medal of Honor a year later for his actions during that Civil War conflict.

How a Civil War Drummer Boy Became the Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient

Civil War drummer boy Willie Johnston received the Medal of Honor on Sept. 16, 1863, two months after his 13th birthday.

President Richard Nixon presents then-Capt. Robert Howard with the Medal of Honor during a March 2, 1971, ceremony at the White House.

This Vietnam War Legend Is the Only Soldier Nominated 3 Times for the Medal of Honor

Green Beret Robert Howard is the only one of the 3,547 Medal of Honor recipients to be nominated for the United States’ top...

Shortly after Robert Smalls met with President Abraham Lincoln, War Secretary Edwin Stanton allowed 5,000 former slaves to fight for the Union Army during the Civil War.

The Former Slave Who Stole a Confederate Ship to Achieve His Family's Freedom

One year after the first shots of the Civil War were fired at nearby Fort Sumter, the Planter’s three white officers went...

Rudolph Pins (right) is shown with 2 other soldiers stationed at Fort Hunt, Virginia, during World War II.

The Army's Secret Program to Interrogate German POWs During World War II

From 1943 through 1946, more than 3,400 prisoners (including 15 Nazi generals) were processed at Fort Hunt, according to...

Jack Lummus, who was mortally wounded at Iwo Jima on March 8, 1945, is 1 of 2 NFL players to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

This NFL Player Lost Both Legs at Iwo Jima – and Rallied His Platoon to Keep Fighting

Jack Lummus' heroism dwarfed anything he did for the Giants in his short time with the franchise, but they never forgot his...

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...

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Sgt. James Raley's account came almost three months to the day after he improbably survived that fall from the skies over...

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The National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, opens to the public on March 25, 2025. (National Medal of Honor Museum)

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Marines with Marine Forces Special Operations Command push a zodiac into the water during the Gung Ho portion of Raider Week at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Age Ranges for Joining US Military Special Operations Programs

You have many options that may or may not require an age waiver. It's time to get to work on that dream job.

Stephen Ruiz

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