Blake Stilwell

Blake Stilwell is a former Air Force combat photographer with degrees and experience in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations and Middle Eastern Affairs. Instead of using any of that, he (eventually) became a writer. His work has appeared in Recoil Magazine, Military Times, Coffee or Die, Skillset Magazine, and more. Blake is based in Ohio but is often found elsewhere.

Email: Blake.Stilwell@Military.com

Latest Articles

Battle of the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama. (Library of Congress)

'Kidnapped at Sea' Dispels the Old 'Sea Story' of a Black Sailor in the Confederate Navy

“Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White” tells the tale of a free Black man captured during one of the...

1st Lt. Alexander Nininger fought a superior Japanese force with a bag of grenades and a captured enemy machine gun.

The First Medal of Honor Recipient of WWII Was Basically a Modern-Day Berserker

To look at Lt. Alexander R. "Sandy" Nininger when he began his plebe year at the U.S. Military Academy, one might never have...

Russian Troops Get the Worst Food Issued by Any Military Ever

Russia’s mothers posed a question to the Russian government: “If the dog food was really purchased for the base’s dogs, why...

A recent episode of Newsweek's "Unconventional" went behind the scenes of a mountain rescue at 14,000 feet. (Newsweek/Unconventional)

Watch How Air Force PJs Make a Daring High-Altitude Rescue on Mount Rainier

Naveed Jamali, a veteran and former spy, hosts Newsweek's ongoing web series, "Unconventional," taking a behind-the-scenes...

(Ford Motor Company/Stellantis North America)

Hal Sperlich, Navy Seabee and Engineering Pioneer of the Mustang and Minivan, Dies at Age 95

Whether you’re a junior enlisted service member buying your first Mustang at 25% APR or you have a minivan to get your kids...

Kerry Washington in "The Six Triple Eight." (Netflix)

Hear Firsthand Accounts from 'The Six Triple Eight' in a Free Online Documentary Screening

The trailblazing soldiers depicted in the Netflix film are featured in a free virtual screening of an informative documentary...

“Vietnam: The War That Changed America,” premieres globally January 31, 2025 on Apple TV+..

A New Vietnam War Documentary Series from Apple TV+ Gets Personal with Veterans and Civilians

In commemoration of the final end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon, Apple TV+ will premiere a new documentary that...

Boarding team members from USS James E. Williams board North Korean cargo vessel Dai Hong Dan to provide assistance on Oct. 30, 2007. (U.S. Navy)

That Time US Navy and North Korean Sailors Teamed Up to Battle Somali Pirates

While the United States isn't specifically required to help North Korea, an important part of the U.S. Navy's ongoing mission...

Audie Murphy recreates his Medal of Honor action for the 1955 film "To Hell and Back," adapted from his autobiography. (Universal Pictures)

80 Years Later, Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Action Is Still Like Something Out of a Movie

Audie Murphy's one-man fight against the Nazis in Europe might seem like something straight out of a modern action movie, but...

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...

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...

Prisoners held by North Vietnam returning to the United States aboard a C-141 Starlifter during Operation Homecoming. (U.S. Air Force)

The Largest White House Party Ever Was in Honor of Returning Vietnam POWs

The event had a total guest list of more than 1,300 that included movie stars Bob Hope, John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, along...

The 1780 Battle of Camden was one of the worst defeats in U.S. military history.

'America's First Veterans': Historians Need Your Help Identifying the Remains of Revolutionary War Troops

Forensics labs need Americans with 18th-century ancestral ties to the states of Maryland, Delaware or North Carolina to come...

In the 1600s there was no treatment for this kind of burn.

The 'Cuckold Flag': The Strange History of the World's Weirdest Battle Ensign

It’s not Robert Devereux’s fault that his marriage and sex life became a public spectacle on par with a British Interregnum...

Drowning Pool vocalist Ryan McCombs sings into his signature microphone during a free concert on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

The Battle Songs that Defined the Global War on Terrorism, According to Service Members and Veterans

We asked U.S. troops and veterans what songs defined their service during the Global War on Terrorism. Here's what they had...

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U.S. Army soldiers depart for a mission along the Southern Border

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Migrants board a removal flight at Fort Bliss, Texas

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An aerial view of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command on Redstone Arsenal, Alabama

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President Donald J. Trump signs the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs)

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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.

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Army News

10th Mountain Division soldiers receive their golden spurs

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Marines hike during mountain training exercise

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

Navy News

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

'Kidnapped at Sea' Dispels the Old 'Sea Story' of a Black Sailor in the Confederate Navy

“Kidnapped at Sea: The Civil War Voyage of David Henry White” tells the tale of a free Black man captured during one of the...

Air Force News

Air Force Unveils New Policies on Shaving, Nail Polish, Hair Length in Leaked Memos

Medical shaving waivers for thousands of airmen and Space Force Guardians will be reset and reevaluated, according to new...

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

Space Force News

Air Force Unveils New Policies on Shaving, Nail Polish, Hair Length in Leaked Memos

Medical shaving waivers for thousands of airmen and Space Force Guardians will be reset and reevaluated, according to new...

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

Marine Corps News

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

Marine Corps drill instructor corrects recruits conducting a close order drill

Marine Corps Full Steam Ahead on Integrating Platoon-Level Drill Instructor Roles

The depots currently have seven gender-integrated drill instructor teams at the platoon level, though that number can...

Coast Guard News

President's Latest Order Gives Uniformed Military 30 Days to Eliminate Diversity Efforts

Trump's order comes on the heels of his first executive orders signed last week, which already sent the military services...

Aiviq heads in for docking in Elliott Bay in Seattle

This Icebreaker Has Design Problems and a History of Failure. It’s America's Latest Military Vessel.

The icebreaker Aiviq was built for oil work in the Arctic but has design issues. Its maiden voyage to Alaska ended in a...

Blake Stilwell

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