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

U.S. Army Reserve Spc. Shavaun Brugger, a UH-60 helicopter repairer assigned to Charlie Company, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, peers out of the door of a Black Hawk during Mojave Falcon 2025 at Fort Hunter Liggett, California.

The Army Reserve Is Gutting Aviation Units. Thousands of Soldiers Are Being Left in the Lurch.

Thousands of Army Reserve soldiers are being forced to scramble for new assignments after the service abruptly ordered the...

Exodus at VA: 10,000 Employees Are Resigning in September. Here’s the List

It’s been six months since a now-infamous email presented millions of federal workers with a pivotal decision: They could...

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi speaks with airmen assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing during a visit at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Air Force Rebrands Facebook Page to Combat Rumors, Leaked Memos and Reddit Threads

A long-standing Air Force Facebook page created to represent its top enlisted leader has been renamed and rebranded as a news...

Air Force Veteran Convicted of Killing Wife and 2 Children Is 9th Person Executed in Florida This Year

Air Force veteran Edward Zakrzewski was executed on Thursday for the June 9, 1994, killings of his 34-year-old wife Sylvia...

A folded American flag, flown aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer

Marine Sergeant Dies After Collapsing During Fitness Test in Florida

A Marine sergeant on reserve duty died after he collapsed during a physical fitness test in Florida last month, according to...

A former convict turned soldier, a young Ukrainian woman with the call sign “Brooks”

The Unexpected Army: Stories of Those Who Fight for Ukraine

Ukraine's army is stretched thin and wide, redrawing the boundaries of who serves and why.

Latest Military Videos

Aid Not Reaching Those Who Need it in Gaza Despite Air Drops and Easing of Blockade, AP Explains

International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths have pressured Israel to let more...

Four Astronauts from US, Japan and Russia Launch to the Space Station

Astronauts sidelined for the past year by Boeing’s Starliner trouble blasted off to the International Space Station on Friday...

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...

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

Night Vision Goggles May Have Hampered Black Hawk Pilots Before Crash with Jet, Experts Tell NTSB

Aviation experts say night vision goggles may have created some difficulties for the pilots on an Army helicopter that...

U.S. Army soldier promoted to the rank of sergeant

Army Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks

Explore U.S. Army ranks from private to general. Learn rank structure, pay grades, insignia, and promotion paths in this...

Navy News

Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, delivers remarks

Navy Leader Confirmed by Senate After Half-Year Vacancy

After nearly half a year without a Senate-confirmed uniformed leader, the Navy has a new top admiral.

The guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams prepares to depart at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., for its May 2, 2006, maiden voyage with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.

Virginia Senators Seek Answers from Navy in Death of Norfolk-Based Sailor

Seaman Angelina Resendiz went missing around May 30; her body was found 10 days later.

Air Force News

Combat Arms Training and Maintenance students learn how to properly handle M18 pistols at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Air Force Conducting Service-Wide Inspections of Sig Sauer M18 Pistol After Airman's Death

The entire Air Force is doing a service-wide inspection of the M18 handgun after a Security Forces airman suddenly died last...

Air Force Veteran Convicted of Killing Wife and 2 Children Is 9th Person Executed in Florida This Year

Air Force veteran Edward Zakrzewski was executed on Thursday for the June 9, 1994, killings of his 34-year-old wife Sylvia...

Space Force News

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Alabama) speaks to the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber.

Alabama Congressman ‘100% Sure’ US Space Command Coming to Huntsville

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Alabama) said he has been assured by President Donald Trump that U.S. Space Command is coming to...

U.S. Space Force Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro, newly appointed U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific commander, gives a speech

First Leader of Space Force Pacific Command Ends Tenure

The first leader of the U.S. Space Force’s Pacific command officially ended his tenure in Hawaii in a change of command...

Marine Corps News

Marine Sergeant Dies After Collapsing During Fitness Test in Florida

A Marine sergeant on reserve duty died after he collapsed during a physical fitness test in Florida last month, according to...

Wife of Marine Corps Veteran Released from ICE Custody After Advocacy from GOP Senator's Office

Until this week, Mexican national Paola Clouatre had been one of tens of thousands of people in ICE custody as the Trump...

Coast Guard News

Coast Guard Says Rotten Wood and Poor Inspections Led to Deadly Schooner Mast Collapse

The U.S. Coast Guard says rotten wood and poor inspections appear to have played roles in the collapse of the mast of a...

Fredrick Unger's children pose with Seaman Joseph Turk, who saved the 97-year-old

Quick Thinking by Rookie Seaman Saves Drowning 97-Year-Old During Coast Guard Festival

A 97-year-old man who lost his balance and fell around 6 feet into the Grand River is expected to make a full recovery...