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

Naval Station Great Lakes Building One at sunset

Navy Gets Request for ICE, National Guard to Operate Out of Chicago-Area Base

The installation, home to the Navy's only recruit training facility, would provide facilities and logistics for immigration...

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind

Air Force Academy Cancels Lecture After Discovering Speaker Disparaged Trump

Air Force Academy officials have canceled an upcoming annual lecture after discovering the speaker's online history of...

Micki Witthoeft, mother of Ashli Babbitt

Jan. 6 Rioter Fatally Shot by Police Approved for Military Funeral Honors by Air Force

Ashli Babbitt, who served as a senior airman, was among a group of rioters attempting to smash through barricaded doors...

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raises his fist

Venezuela Prepares for Potential US Attack with Armed Drones Designed by Iran

The long-standing links between Caracas and Tehran have been a source of contention between Venezuela and the United States.

construction of large white tents for a new immigrant detention center at Fort Bliss

Mystery Surrounds $1.2 Billion Army Contract to Build Huge Detention Tent Camp in Texas Desert

When President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to build and operate what...

Illinois National Guard in 1968, in Chicago

The National Guard Has Been Activated to Chicago 18 Times from 1877-2021. Here’s a Breakdown.

A review of the Tribune’s archives produced 18 events in which the governor activated the National Guard within Chicago. Two...

Latest Military Videos

Hang Clean

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates how to do a hang clean. (Aug. 29) military.com

Jumping Jacks

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for jumping jacks. (Aug. 29) military.com

Half Squat

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for half squats. (Aug. 29) military.com

Hip Rollers

Military.com fitness writer Stew Smith demonstrates the proper form for hip rollers. (Aug. 29) military.com

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

Sen. Joni Ernst speaks during an Iowa GOP event

Iraq War Veteran Sen. Joni Ernst Expected to Announce Next that She Won't Run for Reelection

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is expected to announce next month she won't seek reelection, leaving another vacancy in an Iowa seat...

A view of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Portrait of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee with Slave Rehung at West Point

The reinstallation marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to reverse the work of a congressionally mandated...

Navy News

DHS Secretary Noem Confirms More ICE Resources Are Heading to Chicago for Immigration Crackdown

Noem's comments come after the DHS requested limited logistical support from officials at the Naval Station Great Lakes to...

Navy officers walk through the tunnels of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility.

2 Civilians Indicted for Their Role in a Pearl Harbor Fuel Spill That Sickened 6,000 People in 2021

The indictments are the first to result from the fuel spill that angered Hawaii residents, lawmakers and military service...

Air Force News

Jan. 6 Rioter Fatally Shot by Police Approved for Military Funeral Honors by Air Force

Ashli Babbitt, who served as a senior airman, was among a group of rioters attempting to smash through barricaded doors...

B-52 bomber from in a flyover at the North Dakota State Fair

NTSB Says B-52 Bomber Nearly Hit 2 Different Planes in North Dakota Last Month

These close calls were just the latest incidents to raise questions about aviation safety in the wake of January’s midair...

Space Force News

Family and friends pin Officer Training Course badges on graduating U.S. Space Force Guardians

Space Force Celebrates First Officer Training Course Graduation at Peterson Space Force Base

The Space Force celebrated the first graduating class of its new Officer Training Course, marking a new approach to training...

109th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

Air Guard Transfers to Space Force Appear Likely as Senators Backtrack on Effort to Stop It

New amendments added to Congress' must-pass annual defense policy bill would allow the Space Force to take over certain state...

Marine Corps News

The sign at the entrance at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

Camp Pendleton Officer, Wife Sue Military Housing Company over Crash That Killed 8-Year-Old Son

A Marine Corps family whose 8-year-old son died last year after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Camp...

Marine Veteran Charged with Threatening to Shoot Schoolchildren Now Out of Jail

Once held on $1 million bond for livestreaming threats to shoot elementary school children, a military veteran is now out of...

Coast Guard News

USS Falcon crewmen suit up 2 Navy divers during the rescue operation following the sinking of the USS Squalus.

How the Men on a Navy Submarine Survived After Sinking 240 Feet in the Atlantic

Trapped 240 feet beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, Lt. Oliver Naquin could not ensure the crew of the USS Squalus...

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont speaks at the State Capitol

Governor Announces $7.7M State Investment in Connecticut Sub Base Waterfront

Gov. Ned Lamont announced nearly $7.8 million in state funding to improve the Naval Submarine Base's waterfront as the state...