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

Rowers paddle down the Charles River near the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Harvard to Offer Full Rides to 50 Veterans and Civil Servants for Master's Degrees in Public Policy

The $100,000 fellowships are being offered at a time when the school has come under attack from President Donald Trump, who...

The sun rises at the Vanessa Guillén gate at Fort Hood, Texas.

Fort Hood Senior Noncommissioned Officer Arrested a Second Time on Child Sex Assault Charges

Sgt. Maj. Victor Manuel Rivera was arrested on June 18 and released on a $90,000 bond on June 30. He is facing a first-degree...

Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Nominations were put in front of the Senate for Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton and Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere to...

Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, W.Va.

The New VA Budget Pushes to Privatize Care, Risking the Veterans Health System

"We are watching the slow dismantling of the VA from the inside out, buried in a budget document. If left unchecked, this...

21-Year-Old Soldier Hacked Databases, Threatened to Leak Stolen Data, Feds Say

John Wagenius was stationed at Fort Cavazo and at a U.S. Army base in South Korea throughout the scheme between April 2023...

Arkansas National Guardsmen deploy to Texas on July 8, 2025, to assist with the transportation of search and rescue personnel in the vicinity of Austin, Texas, during catastrophic flooding.

Reckoning with Mortality: The Hidden Toll of Being a Military Family in the Aviation Community

"The aviation community is very small. The rotary aviation world is even smaller. Since I met my husband in 2010, we have not...

Latest Military Videos

Iron Sharpens Iron: How to Find the Career Mentor You Need on the Job Hunt

On your job hunt, you are not looking for a handout. You don’t expect it to be easy. You...

Roman Era Mosaic Panel With Erotic Theme That Was Stolen During World War II Returns to Pompeii

A mosaic panel on travertine slabs, depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era, was returned to the archaeological...

Israeli Airstrikes Hit Syrian Defense Ministry Headquarters in Heart of Damascus

The Israeli military launched airstrikes in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, hitting the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters as...

Young Recruits Prepare for Battle While Ukraine Awaits Aid Announced by Trump

Instructors trained groups of recruits in Ukraine's Kyiv region on Wednesday, as the country awaits promised U.S. military aid...

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

Sign welcomes visitors to Fort Carson, Colorado

Fort Carson Soldier Accused of Kidnapping, Sexual Assault in Colorado Springs

Records given to The Gazette by Fort Carson officials show Meade is a mechanic in the 4th Infantry Division for their...

U.S. soldiers conduct a patrol near Bisbee, Ariz.

Additional Military Bases in New Jersey, Indiana Set to Host Migrant Detention Camps

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, colloquially referred to as "Fort Dix," in New Jersey and Camp Atterbury in Indiana, both...

Navy News

Naval Academy Superintendent, First Woman in Post, Replaced Early by Marine General

Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, who currently oversees the Marine Corps' personnel directorate, has been nominated to replace...

Entrance to the U.S. Naval Academy campus

Naval Academy Settles on Shorter List of Banned Books as Pentagon Panel Weighs Ultimate Decision

As the legal court battle over the administration's efforts to ban certain books in DoD schools for military children makes...

Air Force News

Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Nominations were put in front of the Senate for Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton and Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere to...

Incoming Ellsworth Commander Criticized Air Force Base's Culture in B-1B Lancer Crash Report

An Air Force colonel set to take over Ellsworth Air Force Base's 28th Bomb Wing later this month harshly criticized the...

Space Force News

Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force Generals as Next Service Vice Chiefs

Nominations were put in front of the Senate for Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton and Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere to...

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody speaks from Space Florida headquarters in Merritt Island

Moving NASA HQ from DC to Space Coast Still on Lawmakers’ Minds

As newly elected President Trump announced laid out his plans to reduce workforce and waste, Florida politicians began...

Marine Corps News

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Carlos A. Ruiz

As Corps Gets Stretched Thin by Mounting Missions, Top Enlisted Leader Focused on Basics for Marines

Sgt. Maj. Carlos Ruiz has been vocal about a multibillion-dollar barracks effort meant to fix disintegrating housing, as well...

Alejandro Barranco talks on his cell phone

Father of 3 Marines Who Was Beaten by ICE Agents Released, Leaving Family to Process His Detention

The son, Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, told Military.com after the arrest that he initially "couldn't believe" the video...

Coast Guard News

change of command ceremony inside Leamy Hall at USCGA, New London, Connecticut

US Coast Guard Academy Ceremony Lauds Outgoing Leader and Welcomes New Superintendent

A change of command ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy that bid farewell to Superintendent Rear Adm. Michael Johnston...

U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer waves to spectators

Coast Guard Legislation Demands Accountability on Sexual Assault, Harassment

The service's authorization bills include a number of provisions designed to improve reporting and handling of sexual assault...

Kelsey Baker

Latest Articles

Military News

Select Service

Get the Military Insider Newsletter

Most Popular Military News

Latest Military Videos

Investigations and Features

Army News

Navy News

Air Force News

Space Force News

Marine Corps News

Coast Guard News