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

Actor and comedian Jon Stewart and his son Nate poses with a group of U.S. Special Operations Command Service members after the opening ceremony for the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Jeff VanWey)

How Jon Stewart's Visits with Wounded Iraq War Veterans Shaped his Military Advocacy

Stewart is pushing for the expansion of the PACT Act to include U.S. special operations forces based in Uzbekistan and...

Can British soldiers handle some werewolves? Find out in the 2002 military horror movie "Dog Soldiers." (Pathé)

The 10 Best Military Horror Movies for the Halloween Spooky Season

Here are 10 of the best military horror movies for Halloween season, most with really creative ways to turn the government...

The National Global War on Terrorism Memorial Gets a Renowned Architect

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma -- designer of Tokyo's National Stadium and one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People...

Artist and songwriter Kris Kristofferson performs ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ at the Nashville Songwriters Association International ‘50 Years of Songs’ at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

Did That Infamous Kris Kristofferson vs. Toby Keith Showdown Actually Happen?

It was, at its heart, juicy celebrity gossip, but it had all the makings of a dramatic feud.

Famous Veteran: Kris Kristofferson

Country music legend and Army veteran Kris Kristofferson has a list of accomplishments so long, it might be faster to list...

From the cover of "Drafted" by Army veteran and comic artist Rick Parker. (Abrams Comic Arts)

New Graphic Novel from 'Beavis and Butt-Head' Comic Artist Perfectly Captures What it Was Like to Be Drafted for the Vietnam War

The graphic novel "Drafted" follows Rick Parker's Army journey, beginning with his high school graduation, getting drafted...

Curator Jonathan Ferguson inspects a golden AK-47 before the opening of the "Re:Loaded" exhibition at The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England. (Royal Armouries Museum)

The Infamous Golden Guns of the Most Notorious Deposed Dictators

Money. Weapons. The power to make enemies disappear. Dictators seem to have it all. Some of them even take all three of those...

Because who wouldn't want to watch "Reacher vs. Aliens?" (Amazon MGM)

Army Ranger Candidates Get a Trial by Fire in New Sci-Fi Action Thriller 'War Machine'

Imagine going through a difficult U.S. military special operations training school, such as the Army Ranger Assessment and...

"The Road" A Graphic Novel Adaptation" by Cormac McCarthy and Illustrated by Manu Larcenet (Dargaud)

Air Force Veteran Cormac McCarthy's Post-Apocalyptic Epic 'The Road' Is Now a Graphic Novel Worthy of the Original

A lot of military veterans talk about preparing for a post-apocalyptic world, but author Cormac McCarthy, whose work was...

Filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova embedded with a Russian battalion as it advanced into Ukraine in February 2022. She calls the criticism of the film she shot there "ludicrous." (Raja Pictures)

A New Documentary About Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Has the Film Festival Circuit Up in Arms

Many pro-Ukraine westerners (but not all) are quick to denounce Russian-Canadian documentarian Anastasia Trofimova’s new film...

Salesforce Offers Free, Self-Paced Training for Active Duty, Veterans and Spouses

Salesforce training might be the easiest way to further your civilian career option before and after leaving the military.

R.Riveter Handmade Accessories Bring Mobile, Flexible Income to Military Spouses

Two military spouses had trouble getting work, so they founded their own company -- and hire other military spouses.

A Rodeo Star Started His Career in the Army Cavalry

After Zach Thomas was sent to Afghanistan, he finished his enlistment and needed a new challenge -- so he decided to ride...

Hoot Gibson was one of the 1920s' most popular children's matinée heroes. His 30-year career was filled with western movie roles.

Rodeo Legend, Movie Star and Tank Veteran: ‘Hoot’ Gibson Could Do It All

Silver-screen legend Edward "Hoot" Gibson wasn't just a cowboy for the camera; he was an award-winning wrangler.

Cpl. Matt Hunter directs a Humvee into one of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252's KC-130Js so that it can retrieve a piece of cargo carried by the aircraft from Al Asad, Iraq, to Baghdad.

Read a Marine Corps PAO Story by ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author JD Vance

Author JD Vance was once a Marine Corps public affairs writer. We found one of his stories.

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Most Popular Military News

(From left) Gunnery Sgts. Daniel Draher and Joshua Negron, and CPO Eric Gilmet -- the MARSOC 3.

'The MARSOC 3 Are Free': Drinking Convictions Dismissed Against Marine Raiders, Ending 6-Year Legal Saga

A military court of appeals on Friday dismissed the final convictions against two Marine Raiders embroiled in a yearslong...

Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel

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U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery complete the hand-release push-up event of an Army Combat Fitness Test during the Best of the Best Competition on Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The Army's Fitness Standards May Shift in 2025. But How Much Tougher Will They Be?

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Security personnel investigate the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street

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Latest Military Videos

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Syrian security forces and armed vehicles were deployed in the city of Homs Thursday to look for the militants...

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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.

For years, it was an open secret among missileers that the Cold War-era missile alert facilities and launch control centers...

Army News

Alicia Arritt with her former boyfriend, Matthew Livelsberger

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Navy News

flowers at the entrance to The Jimmy Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta

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U.S. Air Force airman during Exercise Iron Hand

The Top 10 Military.com News Stories of 2024

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Air Force News

U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft

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The hefty 57-foot, 6-inch wingspan close-support aircraft known as the "Warthog" has been in service since the 1970s, and was...

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Space Force News

A Caucus of Military Veterans Seeks to Bridge the Political Divide in a Polarized Congress

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A Guardian syncs data from a wearable device to a phone during a Continuous Fitness Assessment

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Thousands of Space Force guardians have traded out fitness tests for continuous tracking of their workouts.

Marine Corps News

Advanced School Seminar graduating students

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