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

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Most Popular Military News

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, performs a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot S.C., 1942. Douglas, at age 50 was the oldest recruit in the history of Parris Island, and went on to become a purple heart recipient and Chicago senator.

At 50, He Survived Marine Boot Camp — Then Fought at Peleliu and Okinawa

When 50-year-old Paul Douglas showed up at Marine Corps boot camp in 1942, the white-haired economics professor looked more...

Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Harris receives new shoulder boards from his children during a promotion ceremony June 21, 2018, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training in Charleston, South Carolina. (U.S. Coast Guard/Ryan Dickinson)

Coast Guard Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Coast Guard ranks from seaman to admiral. Learn about the rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and promotion...

Prosecutors Seek to Have Ex-Green Beret Accused of Failed Venezuelan Plot Back in Custody

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to revoke the release of a former Green Beret who is accused of planning a failed...

Jim Sharp, WWII veteran, before taking flight in a vintage biplane. (Photo courtesy of EIN Presswire)

Battle Of The Bulge Veteran Celebrates 101st Birthday With Dream Flight

So, when the World War II veteran, Battle of the Bulge soldier and guard at the Nuremberg Trials, had an opportunity to fly...

Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill are facing off to become governor of New Jersey.

Did Sherrill Violate Naval Academy’s Honor Code? Classmates Speak out About Notorious Cheating Scandal

Mikie Sherrill, a New Jersey Democratic congresswoman running for governor, says she did not cheat but was penalized because...

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico

Hegseth's Decision on Wounded Knee Medals Sparks Outrage in Native American Communities

Native American communities that had long wanted the removal of military honors for the soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded...

Latest Military Videos

Journalists Given Rare, Limited Glimpse of Gaza City Under Israel Military Supervision, AP Explains

An Israeli army vehicle rumbles through the empty streets of a shattered neighborhood in Gaza City, and with help...

Trump Watches Naval Drills from USS George HW Bush Aircraft Carrier

U.S. President Donald Trump observed a Naval Sea Power Demonstration aboard the USS George H.W. Bush on Sunday in...

Activist Thunberg Hits Out at Governments' Failure to Act in Support of Palestinians in Gaza

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg on Monday hit out at governments that had failed to act to stop Israel's military...

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration from Sending National Guard Troops to Oregon

A federal judge on Sunday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying any National Guard units to Oregon, including...

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

Prosecutors Seek to Have Ex-Green Beret Accused of Failed Venezuelan Plot Back in Custody

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to revoke the release of a former Green Beret who is accused of planning a failed...

Army Vet Sentenced to Year In Prison For $80,000 Fraud, Stolen Valor

Sharon Toney-Finch, 43, was indicted in April 2024 on four charges: wire fraud, stolen valor, theft of government funds, and...

Navy News

Trump USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier

Trump Doesn't Let Shutdown Interfere With Celebrating Navy's 250th Anniversary

The president spoke on a pier in between two towering Navy vessels, an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship.

Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), delivers remarks during NETC’s change of command ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, June 18, 2025. The museum recently opened an exhibit honoring Vietnam prisoners of war. (United States Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Zachary Melvin)

National Naval Aviation Museum Honors Vietnam POWs with Emotional Exhibit

A new exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, is giving attendees a rare glimpse into life for...

Air Force News

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview

Veterans, Who Saw One of Their Own Arrested by ICE and Charged, Say Feds Are Undermining Democracy

Days after a 70-year-old Air Force veteran was among five people charged while protesting outside a suburban U.S. Immigration...

Airman Confronts and Shoots Armed Neighbor on Deadly Rampage, Iowa Officials Say

Harrison Friar, a senior airman, was with his wife and children at their home in Glenwood on the evening of Aug. 6 when they...

Space Force News

U.S. Air Force U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Rachel Harmon and Master Sgt. Tom Anderson, weapons loaders assigned to the 174th Attack Wing, checks an inert GBU 12 laser guided missile on an MQ-9 Reaper at Springfield-Beckley Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio.

Two Space Force Units Bring the 'Invisible Front Line' to Ohio

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting is planned for Friday for the Space Intelligence Production Cell at the Springfield-Beckley Air...

A painting of a Defense Support Program satellite from the Air Force Art collection. DSP provides a variety of national security capabilities. Its flagship mission of launch detection was made famous during the Cold War. (U.S. Air Force image)

Clearing The Orbits: Space Force Partnerships In Orbital Cleanup

The growing congestion of Earth orbit has raised risks to satellites, space stations, and long-term space sustainability. The...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nosikahhokli Melendez, a fire support Marine with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, prepares to depart on a MV-22 Osprey, attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, during exercise Keen Sword 25 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Manuel A. Serrano)

Marines' AI Edge with Project Dynamis

Discover how the Marine Corps' Project Dynamis integrates AI to enhance joint force operations against peer threats. Explore...

Retired Marine Aviator Amy McGrath Launches Comeback Bid in Seeking the Seat of Retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell

Democrat Amy McGrath, a retired Marine aviator, entered the Senate campaign in Kentucky, vowing to be a “bulwark against...

Coast Guard News