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

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...

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...

The undefeated 1944 Army football team was led by future Heisman Trophy winners Glenn Davis, left, and Felix ‘Doc’ Blanchard.

80 Years Ago, a Historic Army-Navy Game Captivated a Nation During World War II

The 1944 Army-Navy Game pitted the top two ranked teams in college football that season and raised more than $58 million for...

Three of the Douglas World Cruisers that attempted to become the first to circumnavigate the globe by air are shown in an undated 1924 photo.

How These US Military Aviators Became the First to Fly Around the World

To say the least, the eight Army Air Force aviators who departed Seattle on April 6, 1924, did not face an easy assignment.

Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben helped develop a training program for the Continental Army at Valley Forge during the American Revolution.

How a Prussian Baron Helped the Colonists Win the American Revolution

In a mere two months, soldiers learned how to load and fire a musket quicker and more efficiently, and were introduced to the...

Capt. Roy 'Butch' Voris, a fighter pilot who was credited with shooting down 8 Japanese planes during World War II, served 2 tours as the leader of the Blue Angels.

The World War II Fighter Ace Behind the Navy's Blue Angels

For the rest of his life, the Blue Angel pilots who came after him viewed Voris with reverence -- and with good reason.

The gaping hole, circled, at the 78th and 79th floors of the Empire State Building in New York marks the place where a B-25 Army bomber crashed into the structure on July 28, 1945, killing 14 people. The photo was taken on July 29 after the dense fog that caused the crash dissipated.

The Time an Army Bomber Crashed into the Empire State Building During WWII

The crash, which caused about $1 million in damage (roughly $17.5 million in 2024), represented the first time that an...

Periodontist Theresa Cheng founded Everyone for Veterans in 2017, about a decade after she first began providing free dental care to eligible veterans and their caregivers.

This Dental Nonprofit Will Fix Veterans’ Teeth for Free

Since 2008, nearly 900 veterans and their spouses have had their oral issues through the efforts of Cheng and then E4V.

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...

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

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...

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka’s (CFAY) Multi-Cultural Committee hosted a 2019 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month observance.

Trump Orders Pentagon Policy Saying Transgender Troops Are 'Not Consistent' with Military Ideals

The order, which follows actions Trump took last week to lay the groundwork for it, gives the Pentagon 30 days to report back...

White House Funding Freeze Stokes Uncertainty for Military Families as Raft of Programs Under Review

An announcement late Monday from the Office of Management and Budget panicked military family members who feared losing...

Jennifer Moreno DVA Medical Center campus in San Diego

VA Says 44 Programs Will Continue After Review Required by Trump Federal Funding Freeze

In a statement released late Tuesday, department officials said all programs would continue uninterrupted.

10th Mountain Division soldiers receive their golden spurs

'No One Knows Who He Is': Trump's Pick for Army Secretary Faces Confirmation Hearing

The relatively obscure financier and political adviser, who is also a veteran, is set to lead the Pentagon's largest branch...

Guatemalan migrants wait to be picked up by relatives after being deported from the United States

Migrants Describe Flights Aboard US Military Planes Carrying Out Swift Deportations

The Trump administration has enlisted the U.S. military to quickly scale up its deportation capacity, which usually relies on...

Latest Military Videos

Putin Says He Is Ready for Talks With Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday seconded U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he could have prevented the conflict...

Ukraine Plans to Reform Recruitment Efforts To Attract Younger Soldiers and Boost Forces

Ukraine is in the final stages of drafting recruitment reforms to attract 18- to 25-year-olds who are currently exempt...

Master Class: The 'Shoot Me Your Resume' Resume: The One-Page Miracle That Makes All the Difference

Shoot me your resume. These are the magic words every jobhunter should be hoping to hear. Even though you...

President Trump Attends Commander-In-Chief, Liberty Inaugural Balls

After taking the oath of office and signing dozens of executive orders, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania...

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

Daniel Driscoll, President Trump's nominee to be Secretary of the Army

Trump's Army Secretary Pick Avoids Culture War Issues in Senate Confirmation Hearing

President Donald Trump's unconventional pick for Army secretary, Dan Driscoll, appeared poised for a smooth confirmation...

TV producer Chas. Floyd Johnson is on the set of 'JAG' with U.S. Marine Corps Cobra gunship helicopters in the background.

The Circle Makes Its Rounds: ‘NCIS’ Producer Chas. Floyd Johnson on Military Service and Hollywood Success

Chas. Floyd Johnson is the executive producer for the long-running CBS TV series “NCIS” and won an Emmy for his work on “The...

Navy News

Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba

Trump Wants to Detain 30,000 Migrants at Guantanamo Bay. It Can Hold Only 130 Now.

In a pre-recorded video uploaded to social media, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had little more to add beyond noting that...

Color Guard from the Navy and Marine Corps at the San Diego Pride Parade

Navy Already Rejecting Transgender Recruits After Trump Order

A Navy memo dated the day after Trump signed his order directed recruiters to reject transgender applicants immediately...

Air Force News

Air Force General Fired from Leadership Due to 'Inappropriate Personal Relationships'

Brig. Gen. Erik Quigley was removed from his position "following an internal investigation which revealed inappropriate...

Privately owned vehicles wait to enter through the Dale Mabry gate at MacDill Air Force Base.

Victim Killed in Tampa Rampage Was Sergeant Stationed at MacDill Air Force Base

Tech. Sgt. Richard Padilla was with the 24th Rapid Deployment Squadron of the 24th Special Operations Wing, according to an...

Space Force News

Space Force Brig. Gen. Kristin L. Lanzenhagen, right, talks with moderator Walt Jackim

Ready for 156 Space Coast Launches This Year, Space Force Targets Bottlenecks

The Space Force is prepped to support an average of 13 launches of month from the Space Coast in 2025, but it’s a juggling...

The Buckley Space Force Base sign is photographed July 7, 2021

Colorado Military Base to House Migrants as ICE Widens Crackdown

A U.S. military base in Aurora, Colorado, will be used to process and temporarily house migrants facing deportation, as...

Marine Corps News

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...

“I fell right into military life, where there was a manual and a reason for everything,” writes Noah Winchester. “But that broken child had grown into a broken teenager and then a broken man who found power and was corrupted by it.”

Inside San Quentin Prison a Marine Found a New Kind of Family

At San Quentin, my hope and dignity landed on a mental ledge.

Coast Guard News

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River

3 Army Soldiers Killed in Tragic Collision with Passenger Plane Near DC Airport

Three unidentified Army soldiers died after their Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger flight over Washington, D.C...

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...