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

Drummer boy Willie Johnston was a few days shy of his 12th birthday during the Seven Days' Battle in Virginia and received the Medal of Honor a year later for his actions during that Civil War conflict.

How a Civil War Drummer Boy Became the Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient

Civil War drummer boy Willie Johnston received the Medal of Honor on Sept. 16, 1863, two months after his 13th birthday.

Shortly after Robert Smalls met with President Abraham Lincoln, War Secretary Edwin Stanton allowed 5,000 former slaves to fight for the Union Army during the Civil War.

The Former Slave Who Stole a Confederate Ship to Achieve His Family's Freedom

One year after the first shots of the Civil War were fired at nearby Fort Sumter, the Planter’s three white officers went...

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...

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Most Popular Military News

A U.S. Army specialist trains in Baumholder, Germany

Army Deleting Online Content Related to Women, Minorities Using Key Words Like 'Respect' and 'Dignity'

The deletion of photos, video and other content is part of an order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that all the military...

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Air Force Academy graduates march to their seats during graduation

Air Force Academy Investigating Nearly 100 Cadets for Cheating, Honor Code Violations

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barrels of radioactive waste are loaded for transport to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

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AP Explains Zelenskyy and Trump Meeting in Washington

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Investigations and Features

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

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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 protecting the institution, keep parents in the dark while officials formulate a public relations response.

Army News

Official Fort Moore sign unveiled at a redesignation ceremony

Hegseth Scraps Fort Moore Name in Latest Move to Undo Congress' Base Renamings

The Army will return the famed Georgia base to Fort Benning, the name originally chosen in honor of Confederate Henry Benning...

Defense Health Agency Director Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland

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Navy News

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The 10 men involved in the lawsuit came to the U.S. in 2023 or 2024, seven from from Venezuela, and the others from...

US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in South Korea After North Korea Test-Fired Missiles

The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group at the South Korean port of Busan is meant to display a solid U.S...

Air Force News

A view of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and surrounding area can be seen from the star placed on the side of Mount Gordon Lyon at JBER, Alaska, Nov. 23, 2018. (U.S. Air Force/Crystal A. Jenkins)

30-Year-Old Airman Was ‘Fighter to the Very End’ After Brain Tumor Diagnosis in Alaska

Senior Airman James “Nilson” Mixsooke, who grew up in the small community of Unalakleet in western Alaska, was diagnosed in...

Then-U.S. Air Force Col. Allison Black, 1st Special Operations Wing Commander, gives opening remarks

'Angel of Death' Advises Air Force Academy Cadets on Coming Conflict at Recent Leadership Symposium

Former Air Force officer Allison Black reflected on lessons in leadership during a recent National Character and Leadership...

Space Force News

An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test at 1 a.m. Pacific Time, Feb. 19, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base

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

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Marine Corps News

Marine general signs off on reenlistment certificates at Camp Foster, Okinawa

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Parents of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Ethan Hertweck, 21

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A funeral service was held in Kyiv for a U.S. Marine Corps veteran killed while serving alongside Ukrainian forces. Family...

Coast Guard News

A 26-foot over-the-horizon cutter boat crew from Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) approaches a fishing vessel.

Honolulu-Based Coast Guard Crew Patrols South Pacific

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