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

Prisoners of war in the German camp Stalag Luft III made golf balls from shoe leather and played on a rudimentary course.

How Airmen Started a Golf Club in the Nazi POW Camp Known for 'The Great Escape'

It began with one used golf club, sent to a British military pilot detained in a German POW camp during World War II...

Vincent Aiello’s first solo flight in a T-2 Buckeye occurred at Naval Air Station Meridian in Mississippi on Aug. 4, 1994.

What the Life of a Navy Fighter Pilot Really Looks Like

It never occurred to Vincent Aiello that he could join the military and become a pilot until an eye-opening conversation with...

From left, brothers Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan pose on board the USS Juneau.

The Gold Star Mom Who Rallied America After Losing 5 Sons During World War II

Despite the largest loss of life sustained by one family in the U.S. Navy's history, Alleta and Thomas were determined to...

Landing craft put troops ashore on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

What 'D-Day' Actually Stands For

What the "D" in D-Day actually stands for has been a source of debate almost from the time that the Allies first landed on...

Mel Brooks served as a corporal in the United States Army during World War II.

How Comic Legend Mel Brooks Defused Land Mines During World War II

Brooks participated in the Battle of the Bulge -- Germany's final major offensive on the Western Front -- but to his...

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...

Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield not only earned a Medal of Honor while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, but he also is responsible for the bugle call we know as taps.

Taps: How a Medal of Honor Recipient Gave America its Most Famous Military Bugle Call Ever

The central role that Daniel Butterfield played in taps was largely unknown until the late 19th century, only coming to light...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth receives a coin

Hegseth Works Hard to Portray Himself as a Man of the Troops. They Might Not Be Buying It.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host and National Guardsman, has attempted to reframe the role of the...

Veterans salute during a Veterans Day event.

Don't Dishonor Veterans with Broken Promises and Empty Gestures

It's time to get back in step with the veteran community -- not with fanfare, but with follow-through.

Staff Sgt. Elyse Bailey, a U.S. Army Reserve military police soldier representing the 200th Military Police Command, recovers after running the 2-mile Army Combat Fitness Test during the 2020 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

The Best Running Workouts to Improve Your Time on Military Fitness Tests

If you want to ace a timed run over the 1.5- to three-mile distances used in most military running tests, the pacing strategy...

Medical provider conducts a medical evaluation with an applicant

Defense Department to Review List of Medical Conditions that Disqualify Potential Recruits from Serving

The review follows changes over the last three years that expanded waivers for 51 conditions.

Nightclub where an immigration raid occurred in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Fort Carson Soldier Charged with Cocaine Distribution, Possession After DEA Nightclub Raid

Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez is charged with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to...

Capt. Matthew Lohmeier instructs a trainee

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Latest Military Videos

AP Explains Israeli Troops in Self-Declared Security Zones in Gaza

Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and...

Russian Strike on Kherson Kills One Person and Injures 3 Others

At least one person was killed and three others injured following a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of...

Fort Benning Takes Back its Old Name, but to Honor a Different Soldier

The Army is restoring the name Fort Benning to its storied training post in Georgia, only this time to...

Former Pentagon Spokesperson Speaks Out About Leaked War Plans

President Donald Trump is downplaying the texting of attack plans to a group chat that included a journalist as...

Investigations and Features

In One of the Marines' Most Iconic Jobs, a Stunning Pattern of Suicide

Marine Corps drill instructors are a national symbol of discipline. But for some, their imposing persona belies a dark...

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...

Army News

Most of the military's four-star officers occupy top leadership positions

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

Air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Army Pausing Helicopter Flights near Washington Airport After Close Calls

The commander of the 12th Aviation Battalion directed the unit to pause helicopter flight operations around Ronald Reagan...

Navy News

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

USNS Sojourner Truth christening ceremony

Sojourner Truth Descendant Christens Navy Ship Named After Ulster Native

Barbara Allen, sixth great-granddaughter of Sojourner Truth, says she’ll never forget the ceremony where the U.S. Navy...

Air Force News

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin

Gen. Allvin Outlines Air Force Moves to 'Revive Our Warrior Ethos and Rebuild Our Military'

Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff, said the service has already signed up and enlisted 74% of the people it set for its...

Space Force News

Senators Voice 'Deep Concerns' About Trump's Pick for Air Force Under Secretary

Democratic senators voiced serious concerns about a former Former Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier's political social media posts...

Launch of hypersonic missile from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Secretive 'Dark Eagle' Hypersonic Missile Launches from Cape Canaveral

The action on the Space Coast comes a day after the Army officially dubbed the defense system with its new moniker.

Marine Corps News

Military's 4-Star Officers to Be Reduced by 20% or More Under New Order by Hegseth

In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be "unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that...

Maj. Zachary Sessa, an F-35C Lightning II pilot

Marine Aviator Describes Historic F-35 Combat Sortie in Mission Against Yemen's Houthis

After Maj. Zachary Sessa launched his F-35C Lightning II's payload at Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen last year...

Coast Guard News

A crew from Coast Guard Station Charleston patrols Charleston Harbor

Coast Guard Reservist Wins Landmark Supreme Court Case Over Pay Disparities for Federal Workers

In a 5-4 decision, the justices said Nick Feliciano, a Coast Guard petty officer who was called to active duty from 2012 to...

Bales of interdicted illegal drugs aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball

Honolulu Coast Guard Crew Nabs 20K Pounds of Cocaine in Pacific

The haul was a result of six separate interdictions of suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions and other operations off...

Stephen Ruiz

Latest Articles

Military News

Select Service

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Most Popular Military News

Latest Military Videos

Investigations and Features

Army News

Navy News

Air Force News

Space Force News

Marine Corps News

Coast Guard News