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, including the Orlando Sentinel. His writing also has appeared in Reserve & National Guard, Military Families and Military Influencer magazines. In his spare time, Stephen enjoys running, playing with his dog, Holly, and rooting on his hometown New Orleans Saints.

Latest Articles

A previously unseen photo of author J.D. Salinger is displayed at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.

How JD Salinger's World War II Service Shaped His Writing

J.D. Salinger was so devoted to his goal of becoming a published writer that not even the deadliest war in world history...

Eugene Ely flies his Curtiss pusher biplane from the USS Birmingham in Hampton Roads, Virginia, on Nov. 14, 1910, the first time an airplane took off from a U.S. warship.

The First Time an Aircraft Took Off from a Navy Warship

Eugene Ely's daring and fortitude paid off, and he eventually ushered in the age of U.S. naval aviation by successfully...

The 8 members of the USS Barb’s demolition squad pose with the submarine’s battle flag at Pearl Harbor in August 1945.

That Time a Navy Sub Took Out a Locomotive During WWII

On the USS Barb's penultimate patrol during World War II, the Navy submarine executed a daring nighttime surface attack...

Taylor Swift co-wrote the song 'Epiphany' in 2020 to honor of the memory of her grandfather, Archie Dean Swift Jr., who served as a Marine Corps medic during World War II and was at the Battle of Guadalcanal.

This Taylor Swift Song Is a Tribute to Her Marine Grandfather's Service at Guadalcanal

Written during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Epiphany" explores the similar emotions experienced by soldiers...

Test pilot Tom Attridge was at the controls of a F11F Tiger when he accidentally shot down his own plane on Sept. 21, 1956.

The Navy Test Pilot Who Shot Down His Own Fighter Jet

Not every military test pilot can set records like Chuck Yeager, but what happened to Tom Attridge on Sept. 21, 1956, was...

Hedy Lamarr autographs the cement court at the United Service Organizations (USO) Hollywood Canteen as servicemen surround the movie actress on Dec. 13, 1942.

Hedy Lamarr’s Invention Changed Communications. Here’s Why the Navy Rejected it During WWII

Along with a composer named George Antheil, Lamarr developed the technological concept of frequency hopping to address a...

Sixteen years before she founded the American Red Cross, Clara Barton established the Missing Soldiers Office in 1865.

How Red Cross Founder Clara Barton Helped Expose the Truth of a Notorious Confederate Prison

Two decades before founding the American Red Cross, Clara Barton was a humanitarian without a cause.

Artist Junius Brutus Stearns depicts the United States’ first president, George Washington, on his deathbed in 1799.

A Medical Mystery Almost as Old as America: What Actually Killed George Washington?

Anecdotal evidence and empirical data show that Americans are infatuated with true crime, from cold-case television shows to...

Thanks in part to the recollections of former slave James Parks, Arlington House was restored to how it looked at the start of the Civil War.

Cradle to Grave: The Only American Both Born and Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Two days after his death, James Parks was laid to rest on Aug. 23, 1929, in what is now Section 15, Grave 2 at Arlington...

An American Signal Corps pigeon struts before his quarters at Tebessa, Algeria, on May 13, 1943, after flying from Gafsa, Tunisia, with the message that reported that U.S. troops had stormed and taken Gafsa.

How a German Homing Pigeon Who Served in 2 World Wars Became an American Hero

Less than a month before the guns of World War I fell silent, American soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division overtook a...

Army Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday poses for a portrait during the Civil War.

'His Best Day During the Civil War': How Abner Doubleday Helped the Union Win at Gettysburg

Doubleday's name resonates today widely as the supposed inventor of baseball. While that contention has been largely debunked...

Baseball players Paul Skenes, Sam Kulasingam and Aerik Joe pose in their military uniforms.

How the Air Force Academy Molded Paul Skenes, the Best Pitching Prospect in This Year’s Baseball Draft

Coming from a military family, Paul Skenes had a pretty good idea of what awaited him at Basic Cadet Training before his...

'Did I Make the Right Decision?' How to Take the Guesswork out of Army Basic Training

The goal of basic training is to transform a recruit into a soldier. It's as much about constructing the proper mindset as it...

A self-portrait by former Army and professional football player DeWitt 'Tex' Coulter.

The Last First-Round NFL Draft Pick from a Service Academy Was Also a Respected Artist

A self-portrait of the last player from a U.S. service academy to be drafted by an NFL team in the first round is for sale by...

Pvt. Henry Johnson, shown circa 1919, was nicknamed 'Black Death' after surviving 21 wounds, killing 4 Germans and injuring 10-20 others during an encounter in the Argonne Forest in France during World War I.

How the Story of This Medal of Honor Recipient Wounded 21 Times Was Almost Lost to History

Henry Johnson's discharge papers contained no mention of his heroic actions or injuries, depriving him of any awards or...

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Most Popular Military News

Cavalry Soldiers at Fort Carson Can't See Doctors in the Early Morning Under New Rules

An armor officer at Fort Carson, Colorado, this week issued a new set of policies to his formation effectively banning...

U.S. Marine recruits stand in line to do pullups

A Marine Recruiter's 'Grooming' of a Teenage Recruit Led to an Investigation. The Family Says He's Still Terrorizing Them.

Thirty-six-year-old Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne is now under investigation by military authorities after self...

Recruits make phone calls home at U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command

Cell Phones at Boot Camp: Navy Will Let Some Recruits Use Their Devices

Beyond the announcement, the service offered few details about the policy change that promises to be a major shift in...

Under Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Erik Raven, administers the Oath of Enlistment

Most Would Encourage Military Service But Confidence in Armed Forces Remains Low, Survey Finds

This year's survey found that 51% of respondents said they would encourage friends and family who were considering joining...

debris believed to be from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft is seen off the coast of Yakushima Island

Rescue Efforts Underway for 8 Crew Members Aboard Air Force Osprey That Crashed in Japan

Search-and-rescue operations are underway for the crew of an Air Force Osprey that crashed off the coast of a Japanese island...

Senior Airman Sean Ryan Stevenson poses in front of an airplane

'Broken and Alone': Father Pens Scathing Letter to Top Brass After Losing Airman Son to Suicide

A grieving father who lost his son -- an airman at Cannon Air Force Base -- to suicide this month has written an open letter...

Latest Military Videos

Gaza Truce Extended and More Hostages to Be Released, AP Explains

The Associated Press' Correspondent in Jerusalem Sam Mednick explains the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which was due to...

US Navy Removes Fuel From Plane in Hawaii Bay

The U.S. Navy said Monday that it has removed nearly all of the fuel from a large plane that...

White House Hails Extension of Truce Between Israel and Hamas

The White House on Monday hailed the extension of the Israel-Hamas truce for another two days, which will result...

Buildings in City in Northern Gaza Strip Bear Horrific Scars of Intensity of Israel's Offensive

Almost every building in Beit Hanoun has been left destroyed by the intensity of the latest war between Israel...

Investigations and Features

What the Pentagon Has, Hasn't and Could Do to Stop Veterans and Troops from Joining Extremist Groups

The military and its transition programs have largely failed to provide what experts say is necessary to steer troops and...

Poisoned Water: How a Navy Ship Dumped Fuel and Sickened Its Own Crew

A years-long investigation reveals that the Boxer unintentionally compromised its own water supply in 2016.

Army News

No More Late Night Alcohol Sales: Army and Air Force Exchange Stores to Ban the Practice Next Month

The change on Army and Air Force bases is meant to support the Pentagon's suicide prevention initiative, which said that...

U.S. Army Spc. Spencer Gasaway builds a custom hub cap specialty tool at Marne Innovation Center on Fort Stewart

A Problem-Solving Shop Fosters 'Culture of Innovation' at Fort Stewart

The Marne Innovation Center, a problem-solving hub located on this sprawling U.S. Army installation, is empowering 3rd...

Navy News

Contractors place inflatable bags under a U.S. Navy P-8A in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

US Navy Says it Will Cost $1.5M to Salvage Jet Plane That Crashed on Hawaii Coral Reef

Navy spokesman Mohammad Issa said $200,000 has already been spent on the operation.

USS Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.

Ships Face Houthi-Claimed Attack in Red Sea as Officials Say a US Warship Also Fires in Self-Defense

The USS Carney wasn't damaged in the attack and no injuries were reported on board.

Air Force News

A Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force minesweeper searches in the waters.

Search for Military Personnel Continues After Osprey Crash Off Coast of Southern Japan

The U.S. military said it was continuing to look for the rest of the crew.

No More Late Night Alcohol Sales: Army and Air Force Exchange Stores to Ban the Practice Next Month

The change on Army and Air Force bases is meant to support the Pentagon's suicide prevention initiative, which said that...

Space Force News

Space Force Reports 2 Suicides This Year, Marking the First in the Service's Short History

Until this year, the relatively tiny and new Space Force had been an outlier among the other services as they have struggled...

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., speaks to reporters in the Capitol building on Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

Tommy Tuberville Is Just the Face of a 'Broken' Confirmation Process, Critics Say

Anger over Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade of high-ranking military promotions may have hit a boiling point as a handful of...

Marine Corps News

Alec Baldwin speaks at the Ripple of Hope Award Gala at New York Hilton Midtown

Family of Marine Killed in Afghanistan Fails to Win Lawsuit Against Alec Baldwin

A lawsuit against Alec Baldwin filed by relatives of a U.S. Marine killed in Afghanistan has been resolved in the actor's...