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

Gene Hackman put on Marine Corps fatigues in 1983's 'Uncommon Valor.' (Paramount Pictures)

The Hilarious Reason Gene Hackman Gave for Joining the Marine Corps

When acclaimed actor Gene Hackman ran away from his home in Danville, Illinois, to join the Marine Corps, his everyman...

Staff Sgt. David Bleak was a combat medic who defended his wounded by going on offense. (Bleak Family Photo)

The Army Medic Who Received the Medal of Honor for Taking Out a Chinese Squad with His Bare Hands

David Bruce Bleak received the Medal of Honor from President Dwight D. Eisenhower at a White House ceremony on Oct. 27, 1953.

Dirk Vlug's personal photo with the defeated Japanese tanks. (Dirk Vlug/U.S. Army photo)

The Medal of Honor Recipient Who Took on 5 Tanks in the Philippines – and Won

During World War II, Medal of Honor recipient Dirk Vlug destroyed five enemy tanks in just 30 minutes on Dec. 15, 1944, in...

Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer.' (Universal Pictures)

The Best Military Movies and Shows Streaming Right Now on Amazon Prime Video

If you're looking for the best war movies on Amazon's Prime Video service, our list can help you cut through the chaff and...

Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin in 'The Hunt for Red October.' (Paramount Pictures)

The Best Military Movies and Shows Streaming Right Now on Paramount+

Paramount+ may not have all our old favorites when it comes to war movies and television shows, but there's no shortage of...

Suhail Dabbach and Adam Bessa in 'Mosul.' (Jose Haro/Netflix)

The Best Military Movies and Shows Streaming Right Now on Netflix

If you're looking for the best war movies on Netflix, we're here to help you stop the scrolling, move past the algorithm and...

The Best Iraq War Movies, Ranked

Looking back at almost 20 years of Iraq War movies, the first thought that comes to mind is that Iraq War movies aren't...

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.

The album cover for the 1942 song, "Rosie the Riveter."

5 Interesting Facts About World War II Icon 'Rosie the Riveter' and the Famous Poster

The "Rosie the Riveter" campaign from the Office of War Information was determined to get more women to work and free men to...

Gene Hackman in the "French Connection."

Famous Veteran: Gene Hackman

Two-time Academy Award winner Gene Hackman, a Marine Corps veteran, was one of Hollywood's busiest and most respected actors...

Gene Hackman portrayed the real-life Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton in "Bat*21." (Tri-Star/Sony Pictures)

Legendary Actor and Marine Corps Veteran Gene Hackman Dead at 95

Gene Hackman, the beloved star of stage, movies and television who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the turbulent years...

Jon Bernthal as Marine Corps veteran turned vigilante Frank Castle in "The Punisher." (Marvel Studios)

Jon Bernthal's 'The Punisher' Will Return in a New Disney+ Solo Special

Amid the onslaught of new Marvel movies and TV series that have premiered in the years since 2019's "Avengers: Endgame"...

"Brothers After War" is in theaters on February 28, 2025. (Perseverance Productions)

Why Gary Sinise Wants Every US Service Member and Veteran to See 'Brothers After War'

The Gary Sinise Foundation made the largest-ever donation to Vet Tix to ensure veterans and their families can see the new...

Comedian Jerry Lewis, featured in "From Darkness to Light" a documentary screening at the Atlanta Film Festival. (Atlanta Film Festival)

5 World War II Documentaries Worth Watching from the 2025 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

The annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is in full swing, and this year’s showcase includes a lineup of compelling movies...

Audie Murphy recreates his Medal of Honor action for the 1955 film "To Hell and Back," adapted from his autobiography. (Universal Pictures)

More Than 80 Years Later, Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor Action Is Still Like Something Out of a Movie

Audie Murphy's one-man fight against the Nazis in Europe might seem like something straight out of a modern action movie, but...

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Most Popular Military News

The Hilarious Reason Gene Hackman Gave for Joining the Marine Corps

When acclaimed actor Gene Hackman ran away from his home in Danville, Illinois, to join the Marine Corps, his everyman...

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., speaks during the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth as defense secretary at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

In Letter Accusing VA Secretary of 'Cover-Up,' Democrats Demand Answers on DOGE-Led VA Firings

A group of Senate Democrats is demanding answers on the Department of Veterans Affairs' recent firings of 2,400 probationary...

The Department of Defense seal is seen on the podium in the press briefing room at the Pentagon.

Pentagon's No. 2 Spokesperson Has Long History of Antisemitic, Bigoted Social Media Posts

Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon's new deputy press secretary, has a yearslong history of making social media posts that traffic...

Firings Begin at the Pentagon: Veterans, Civil Servants Caught in the Crosshairs

At least 5,400 probationary employees were scheduled to lose their jobs in the first round of civilian personnel cuts at the...

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter sits on the flight line, flanked by an HC-130, at Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, May 16, 2024. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan L. Noel/U.S. Coast Guard Photo)

$7 Billion Coast Guard Maintenance Backlog Looms as Lawmakers Decry 'Unacceptable' Conditions

The Government Accountability Office said the service is responding only to immediate needs and does not have the funding or...

Veterans protest on the steps of the Capitol in Washington

83,000 VA Employees Slated to Be Fired This Year by Musk's DOGE, Memo Says

If implemented, the layoffs would bring the department down to the level of employees it had before the PACT Act, the wide...

Latest Military Videos

Two Reasons Why I Love and Use the TRX

The TRX makes exercises harder for advanced athletes and at the same time makes exercises easier for beginners. I...

TFR 241 - Toughness Defined by Stew Smith and Jeff Nichols

Most people, even scientists studying physiology and psychology, are puzzled by the mind-body connection.

TFR 242 - Gut Checks in Training with Jeff Nichols

Jeff Nichols and Stew Smith discuss gut checks. What is the definition of them. How to incorporate them into...

Analyst: Russia Benefits as Ukraine, Europe Scramble after Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office Blow-Up

President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday for suggesting that the end of Russia's war against...

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 reality.

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

Cars enter Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Lewis-McChord Soldiers Accused of Conspiring to Steal, Sell Military Secrets

An active-duty soldier stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was arrested after being indicted by a federal grand jury on...

In this Jan. 4, 2020, file photo a sign for Fort Bragg, N.C., is shown.

Bragg to Liberty and Back Again: Ceremony to Rechristen Army Post Once Named for a Confederate

Christened a century ago in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the post in North Carolina was renamed in 2023 amid a...

Navy News

The main gate at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Navy Boulevard in Pensacola, Fla., March 16, 2016. (U.S. Navy photo/Patrick Nichols)

Officials Say Reports of Shots Being Fired at Florida Naval Station but No Victims or Shooter Found

A Florida sheriff says there are “no signs of an active shooter” and no injuries after police responded to a report of...

U.S. Navy submarine conducts an emergency personnel transfer

Misadventures on a Nuclear Submarine: A Swollen Knee, a Gush of Water, and a Man Overboard

On a submarine, there are a million and one things that can go wrong. And when they do, the crew must lean on its training...

Air Force News

Gabriel Stone, 14, died on July 22, 2024, after a wall collapsed in the locker room of a pool at Robins Air Force Base.

Parents of 14-Year-Old Killed in 'Senseless Tragedy' When Wall Collapsed at Air Force Base File Lawsuit

Gabriel Stone, 14, died July 22, after a more than 3,000-pound partition wall in the bathhouse collapsed, killing him and...

A CH-146 Griffon helicopter flies along the eastern Alaska Mountain Range during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 22-02, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

‘Skill, Luck and Teamwork’: Air Force Vet Recalls Rescue in Alaska Mountains

It was just another helicopter night mission on the 12th of November in 1974. Or so James Greider thought.

Space Force News

'Warheads on Foreheads': Top Leaders for Air Force, Space Force Leaning into Defense Secretary's Rhetoric

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin wanted to make it clear: The troops that he oversees will do whatever President...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin speaks during a keynote address at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium

Trump's Orders Curbing Government Spending Dwindle Attendance at Air Force Conference

More attendees are wearing suits than fatigues. There are empty parking lots and no wait at the hotel coffee shop. Scattered...

Marine Corps News

The Hilarious Reason Gene Hackman Gave for Joining the Marine Corps

When acclaimed actor Gene Hackman ran away from his home in Danville, Illinois, to join the Marine Corps, his everyman...

Marines and Soldiers Discharged for Refusing the COVID-19 Vaccine Show Limited Interest in Rejoining

Roughly 650 Marines and Army soldiers who were forced out of the military for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine have so...

Coast Guard News

Law enforcement crew members from USCGC Valiant (WMEC 621) stand in front of interdicted narcotics and engine covers

Coast Guard Offloads More than 6 Tons of Cocaine — Worth $140M — at Miami Beach Port

A U.S. Coast Guard cutter crew offloaded more than 12,000 pounds of narcotics at a Miami Beach port that the agency says is...

$7 Billion Coast Guard Maintenance Backlog Looms as Lawmakers Decry 'Unacceptable' Conditions

The Government Accountability Office said the service is responding only to immediate needs and does not have the funding or...

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Blake Stilwell

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