Kelsey Baker

Kelsey Baker is a Military and Defense reporting fellow at Business Insider. Previously, she spent six months at The Washington Post as a 2024 Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow on the general assignment and international desks. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism and a Marine Corps veteran.

Latest Articles

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...

A U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor marches a platoon of recruits

Always Faithful, Always On: The Taxing Job of a Marine Corps Drill Instructor

Marine Corps drill instructors represent one of the most legendary roles in the military. From the 1987 war movie "Full Metal...

A drug user prepares heroin, placing a fentanyl test strip into the mixing container to check for contamination

'You Can't Fix the Problem If You're in Denial:' The Military's Surge of Fentanyl Overdoses

Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and tiny amounts can kill.

"Man/Ready" Vietnam by artist Paul MacWiliams.

How Trauma Before Service is Shaping a Generation of Troops

Acknowledging the prevalence of pre-service trauma -- and how it affects adult service members -- can be helpful for many...

An Army Initial Entry Training soldier naps

Troops Still Aren't Getting Enough Sleep, and the Defense Department Isn't Taking Responsibility, Watchdog Says

A recent GAO report recommends more top-level ownership in the military to help improve troop sleeping patterns.

U.S. Army soldiers with the Wichita Recruiting Company hosted a recruitment booth at Hutchinson

The Army's Recruiting Problem Is Male

A decade of declining recruitment numbers for the Army is almost entirely attributable to a significant drop in male...

Feds Arrest Former Navy Europe Commander Alleging Bribery Scheme that Led to $500,000 Civilian Salary

Robert Burke allegedly directed the lucrative Navy contracts to the company in 2021 while serving as a four-star admiral, and...

A cavalry scout fires the M17 9mm pistol at Fort Carson

31 Pistols Went Missing from Fort Moore, Georgia. The Army Is Offering $5,000 for Information.

The M17 is a 9 mm Sig Sauer pistol with a 17-round magazine capacity. The handgun was adopted by the Defense Department in...

Veterans at Risk of Losing Homes Could Get More Time as VA Urges Extended Pause on Foreclosures

The VA's call aims to give nearly 40,000 veterans more time to find ways to stay in their homes, and comes just ahead of the...

Gavel and American flag with scales of justice.

Soldier Who Was Inspector General Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Faces Sexual Assault, Harassment Charges

Master Sgt. Christopher Dehn is set to be arraigned June 5 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state on four counts of...

Veterans Affairs Department in Washington.

VA Says It Cut Wait Times for Primary, Mental Health Care as Veteran Enrollment Surged

The shorter waits come even as the VA has enrolled more than 400,000 veterans in health care over the past year, a 30%...

Clarence Sasser, Vietnam Medic Awarded Medal of Honor for Treating Troops Under Fire, Dies at 76

After returning to the U.S. from Vietnam, Sasser received his Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon in 1969, in a...

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Family Child Care provider

Military Must Focus on Efforts to Keep Its Child Care Employees to Shorten Waitlists, Watchdog Says

In 2022, turnover within the DoD child care sector ranged from 34% at Marine Corps child care facilities to 50% turnover...

The new Fort Liberty sign is displayed outside the base

Fort Liberty Soldier Sentenced to Over 3 Years for Romance Scams, Bilked Over $350,000 from Victims

Specialist Sanda G. Frimpong, who was serving on active duty until his arrest in 2023, was ordered to pay back over $350,000...

U.S. Marine retirement ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps

Marines Leaving Service Must Now Notify Corps at Least 6 Months Before Departure

Previously, Marines could resign or retire with as little as four months of advanced notification. The update went into...

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

The U.S. Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington

Class-Action Suit over Limits on Combat-Related Disability Pay Goes Before Supreme Court

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in Soto v. United States, a case that challenges a six-year limit on back pay for...

Veterans Reunite with 'Precious Cargo' 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon

One woman's quest to say ‘thank you’ led to the colonel who ran her refugee camp and the aircraft maintainer who may have...

48 Hours with Marines and Soldiers on the US Southern Border

Amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, military assets and personnel are increasingly being relied upon for a...

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

'Everything Is on the Table': Army Eyeing Expansion of Privatized Barracks

As part of a pilot program, construction is expected to begin this summer on a new privately managed facility at Fort Irwin...

Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez

Army Suspends Fort McCoy's First Female Commander Amid Trump Portrait Display Controversy

The incident, which sparked a wave of right-wing criticism, centered on the base's chain of command wall display -- a common...

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting

Crimea Is a Focus of Discussions to End Russia's War in Ukraine. Here's Why It's So Coveted

Russia's illegal seizure of Crimea from Ukraine 11 years ago was quick and bloodless. But Kyiv — and most of the world —...

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

The Bernie Beck Gate at Fort Cavazos, Texas

Fort Cavazos Soldier Gets Life in Prison After Horrific String of Attacks on Female Troops in Barracks

Sgt. Greville Clarke was convicted on 29 counts including rape, intent to commit kidnapping, attempted premeditated murder...

Staff Sgt. Aboubacar Kallo performs hand-release push-ups on Fort Liberty, N.C.

The Best Workouts to Prepare for the New Army Fitness Test

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) has dropped the medicine ball toss, removed the word “Combat” from its name, and...

Navy News

a ceremony to unveil a new naval destroyer at a western port in Nampo, North Korea

North Korean Leader Kim Touts New Naval Destroyer, Blames US for Tensions

The new “multipurpose” destroyer, touted by state media as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships, is designed to...

After 2 Years, Navy Sees Successes with Pre-Boot Camp Prep Course

After about two years of operation, the Navy's pre-boot camp program for recruits who need help meeting the physical and...

Air Force News

Rob Holland performs flying aerobatics in an MXS-RH

'Inspiring' Stunt Pilot Dies After Crash Landing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia

A famous stunt pilot died after crashing his custom-built experimental aircraft at at the Virginia military installation on...

California Teen Slain Outside McDonald’s Was Weeks Away from US Air Force Training

Friends and family who gathered at the McDonald’s parking lot Thursday afternoon to mourn Caleb’s death described him as...

Space Force News

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.

Conference call with civilian and military agencies regarding California wildfires

Governors 'Alarmed' by Looming Transfer of Air National Guard Units to Space Force

A bipartisan group representing all U.S. governors is sounding the alarm about a looming move to transition Air National...

Marine Corps News

48 Hours with Marines and Soldiers on the US Southern Border

Amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, military assets and personnel are increasingly being relied upon for a...

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Troy Black

Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine Decides Not to Keep Senior Enlisted Adviser, Breaking with Past Precedent

Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy Black will depart the post and retire from military service after the newly confirmed Joint...

Coast Guard News

Members of a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment and U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) conduct small boat operations in the Pacific Ocean, March 26, 2025. (Joey Sitter/U.S. Navy)

Coast Guard Permanently Relieves Commander of Sector San Diego

Capt. James Spitler and the sector's command master chief were temporarily relieved six months ago for allegedly creating a...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks

New Offers for Buyouts and Early Retirement Offered to Homeland Security Staff

The Department of Homeland Security is offering buyouts and early retirement options to staffers, as the Trump administration...