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, including the Orlando Sentinel. His writing also has appeared in Reserve & National Guard, Military Families and Military Influencer magazines. In his spare time, Stephen enjoys running, playing with his dog, Holly, and rooting on his hometown New Orleans Saints.

Latest Articles

Marine Corps wheelchair basketball player Carlos Cruz-Tejeda shoots against Team Canada at the Department of Defense Warrior Games near Orlando, Florida, Aug. 23, 2022.

How the Warrior Games Create a Special Bond for Military Athletes with Disabilities

Camaraderie unites the 300 athletes representing the Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Operations Command...

Warrior Games athlete Gabe George, a retired Navy hospital corpsman, demonstrates how he competes in archery despite having his right arm amputated.

After 2-Year Pandemic Break, Warrior Games Athletes Get Another Shot at Competition

Hosted by the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, the 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games are scheduled for Aug. 19-28...

Joseph Beyrle, who served multiple stints as a German POW during World War II, fought for the U.S. and Russian armies. (Facebook photo)

How This POW Became the Only Soldier to Fight for the US and Russia During WWII

While with the Red Army, Beyrle was involved in several firefights with Germans and helped blow open a safe at one of the POW...

Gangster Monk Eastman served in the 27th Infantry Division of the New York National Guard, which helped the Allies crack the Hindenburg Line, the last line of German defense on the Western Front during World War I.

How the 'First Real New York Gangster' Turned Guardsman Helped End World War I

Born Edward Osterman, Edward "Monk" Eastman led a collection of criminals that, at one point, numbered nearly 1,200.

Pvt. Henry Johnson, shown circa 1919, was nicknamed 'Black Death' after surviving 21 wounds, killing 4 Germans and injuring 10-20 others during an encounter in the Argonne Forest in France during World War I.

How the Story of This Medal of Honor Recipient Wounded 21 Times Was Almost Lost to History

Henry Johnson's discharge papers contained no mention of his heroic actions or injuries, depriving him of any awards or...

Army Brig. Gen. George Owen Squier, also a notable inventor and aviation enthusiast, is shown in his military uniform.

Before He Founded Muzak, This General Brought Innovation to the Army

Looking to improve the military's long-range communications, George Owen Squier tested his theories on whatever resources...

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is shown as a lieutenant, junior grade, in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

This Famous Actor's Secret WWII Program Became a Precursor to the Navy SEALs

While Douglas Fairbanks Jr. appeared in about 100 movies, his role in creating the Beach Jumpers was likely the most...

A court-martial of 64 members of the All-Black 24th Infantry Regiment is held on Nov. 1, 1917, at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, stemming from the Houston Race Riot more than two months earlier. (National Archives and Records Administration photo)

How a Race Riot Involving an Army Unit Led to the Largest Murder Trial in US History

The Houston Race Riot of 1917 involved an all-Black battalion from the 24th Infantry Regiment and resulted in the execution...

Missionary Ridge in Tennessee was a key Civil War battle.

How Douglas MacArthur's Father Helped Deliver 'the Death Knell of the Confederacy'

Douglas MacArthur's father, Arthur, earned a Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Missionary Ridge during the...

Teddy Roosevelt Jr. and his family head to the Philippines.

This President’s Son Overcame Age, Health Issues on D-Day to Earn the Medal of Honor

Teddy Roosevelt Jr., the son of the nation's 26th president, served as a brigadier general leading the 4th Infantry Division...

Rear Adm. Roy Davenport earned five Navy Crosses during his military career.

How the 'Praying Skipper' Became the Only Sailor to Earn 5 Navy Crosses

Roy Davenport earned five Navy Crosses as the lieutenant commander of two submarines, the USS Haddock and USS Trepang.

A World Series Hero Misstated WWII Record. Was It Stolen Valor?

Gene Bearden, who helped the Cleveland Indians win the 1948 World Series, claimed he was injured as the USS Helena sank...

Leaders of the Air Force JROTC program at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School are shown outside its classroom.

What Converting from the Air Force to Space Force Means for One JROTC Unit

Space Coast Junior/Senior High in Florida is one of 10 Air Force JROTC units nationally to convert to the Space Force during...

Officer Training School trainees run during an Air Force physical fitness test.

5 Areas That Can Help You Become a More Efficient Runner

The Air Force Efficient Running Project is an online resource developed by Mark Cucuzzella, a former lieutenant colonel in...

COVID-19 pandemic prompts cancellation of 2021 Warrior Games

Pandemic Prompts Cancellation of DoD's Warrior Games for 2nd Year in Row

First held in 2010, the Warrior Games are an adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and ill service members.

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Most Popular Military News

The altar of the main church for the House of Prayer in Hinesville, Georgia, features a large cross and a reference to a verse from the gospel of Matthew.

House of Prayer, a Church Accused of Squeezing Veterans for Benefits, Stripped of GI Bill Eligibility

A church former members have described as a cult has lost its GI Bill eligibility after two decades of allegedly bilking...

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., sits empty in the early morning a few hours prior to the 59th presidential inauguration.

Republicans Vow to Put 'Woke' Military in Crosshairs if They Win in November

Republicans will have more opportunities to take aim at Biden administration defense policies they've decried as "woke,"...

New Navy flame-resistant, two-piece organizational clothing prototype.

New Uniforms Coming for Sailors as Navy Looks to Leave Flammable Clothing Issue Behind

The Navy has ditched its iconic and beloved coveralls for sailors aboard ships for a new, two-piece uniform that was finally...

Front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington.

'Tens of Thousands' More Veterans Will Be Eligible for VA Health Care Starting Oct. 1

Under the toxic exposures law passed in August, several groups of combat veterans will be able to enroll in VA health care.

The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.

Supreme Court Weighs Exception to Vets Disability Deadlines

In a case before the court Tuesday, an attorney for Navy veteran Adolfo Arellano said exceptions should be made "in cases...

Soldier takes the Army Combat Fitness Test at Fort McCoy.

The Army's New Fitness Test Is Here. For Real This Time. No, Seriously. But Its Future Is Uncertain.

A staple of military service, the fitness test has effectively been sidelined as officials tuned it and soldiers got familiar...

Latest Military Videos

Cost of Battle Comes at a High Price in Lyman

Recently liberated streets of Lyman in Donetsk still bear the scars of battle. Many are still without water, electricity...

Several Dead After Al-Shabab Attack in Somalia

Islamic extremist fighters on Monday targeted the local Somali government headquarters, leaving 20 people dead and 36 wounded in...

North Korean Missile Soars Over Japan

Recent images from North Korean state media show what Japan's defense minister said was the missile that Pyongyang launched...

US Provides $625m More in Military Aid to Ukraine

The US announced plans on Tuesday to provide an additional $625 million in military aid to Ukraine, a package...

Investigations and Features

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol

What Happened to Members of the Military Accused of Storming the Capitol on January 6?

At least five service members allegedly were part of the deadly pro-Trump mob that assaulted the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Peter Antioho greets his son Mark to the world

Young and Dying: Veterans Are Getting Brain Cancer and Struggling to Get Benefits

A joint investigation by Military.com and Public Health Watch found that glioblastoma, while rare, has struck hundreds of...

Army News

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III provides testimony during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2023 budget request in Washington, D.C.

Austin Orders Renaming of Bases that Honor Confederate Rebels

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday signed off on an independent commission's recommendations to rename military bases...

Army Vet Caitlin Bassett Finds Herself Playing an Army Vet on 'Quantum Leap'

"Quantum Leap," the hit sci-fi TV series from the late 1980s/early '90s, has been reconstituted and revived by NBC for the...

Navy News

A U.S. Marine with Battalion Landing Team 1/4, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, holds the portrait of Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (Fleet Marine Force) Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California, during a memorial service at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

Feres Helps Military Avoid Accountability for Harm. New Ruling Could Be a Chance for Justice.

On the nine-hour drive from their home in California's central valley to the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, south of Los...

Ensign Terrance Wever signals to an F/A-18E Super Hornet on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan.

USS Ronald Reagan Heads Back to Korean Coast After Latest North Korean Missile Test

The USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is returning to waters off the coast of South Korea in the latest show...

Air Force News

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Rey Sedantes of the 61st Civil Engineering and Logistics Squadron at Los Angeles Air Force Base receives instruction on how to operate the Princeton Power Systems' bidirectional electric vehicle charging stations from vehicle operations contractor Oscar Machado during a training demo in El Segundo, Calif.

Air Force Looks to Alternative Fuel and Mini-Nuclear Reactors to Address Climate Change

The Air Force's 20-page Climate Action Plan comes as natural disasters have become a regular issue for bases, something...

The Air Force’s newest commissioned officers, part of Officer Training School class 19-07, throw their flight caps in the air following their graduation ceremony Sept. 27, 2019, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Ban on Pregnant Service Members and Civilians Applying to Air Force Officer Training School Lifted

Pregnant service members and civilians can now apply to Air Force Officer Training School, reversing the service's policy...

Space Force News

U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, deputy chief of space operations for Operations, Cyber and Nuclear, speaks during the Air Force Association Schriever Space Futures Forum in Beverly Hills, California.

New Space Force Chief Confirmed

President Joe Biden's pick to lead the Space Force was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate, giving the service its second...

The Bronze Star is authorized by Executive Order No. 9419 on Feb. 4, 1944, and is awarded to a person in any branch of military service who, while serving in any capacity with the armed forces of the United States on or after Dec. 7, 1941, shall have distinguished him or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.

Space Force Guardians Are Officially Eligible for the Bronze Star and Other Awards, Biden Says

The changes made by President Joe Biden add the Space Force, founded in December 2019, into executive orders issued over the...

Marine Corps News

Feres Helps Military Avoid Accountability for Harm. New Ruling Could Be a Chance for Justice.

On the nine-hour drive from their home in California's central valley to the Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton, south of Los...

A gavel lays on the Uniform Code of Military Justice inside the 28th Bomb Wing courtroom at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., July 17, 2018. (Airman 1st Class Nicolas Z. Erwin/U.S. Air Force photo)

Judge Orders Navy to Review the Medical Discharges of at Least 3,700 Sailors and Marines

A federal judge decided last week that a policy used by the Navy to determine whether members were eligible for medical...

Coast Guard News

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy transits the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole

Coast Guard Reaches North Pole for Just 2nd Time. Then Crew Members Had Some Fun, Too

The U.S. Coast Guard and a crew of scientists journeyed to the North Pole — for only the second time in history.

Capt. Eric Jones, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle's commanding officer, shakes hands with Petty Officer First Class Henry Cylkowski after a promotion ceremony onboard the Eagle.

Coast Guard Suspends Policy That Booted Troops Who Weren't Promoted Quickly Enough

The move comes as Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan has pledged to make workforce management a top priority.