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Kellan Howell

Kellan Howell is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times, covering defense and national security. Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, Kellan graduated from James Madison University where she received bachelor's degrees in media arts and design and international affairs with a concentration in western European politics.
During her time at JMU, she interned for British technology and business news website "ITPro" in London and worked as a freelance reporter for The Washington Guardian. She was also an executive editor of 22807, a new student magazine covering arts and culture in the JMU community.
Kellan can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Kellan Howell

Chris Mintz, heroic vet, speaks after being shot 7 times: ‘I just hope everyone else is ok’

Chris Mintz, the Army veteran and Umpqua Community College student who charged the shooter at the Oregon college, is awake and recovering at a hospital after having seven bullets removed from his body.

October 2, 2015

Chris Harper Mercer was discharged from Army, Pentagon confirms

Chris Harper Mercer, the Umpqua Community College shooting suspect, was in basic training with the U.S. Army in North Carolina for one month in 2008, before the Army discharged him.

October 2, 2015

Coast Guard searching for ship out of Fla. with 33 on board missing in Hurricane Joaquin

The Coast Guard announced Friday that it was searching for a missing container ship with 33 crew members aboard that was caught in Hurricane Joaquin, near Crooked Island in the Bahamas.

October 2, 2015

Russian air force strikes Islamic State command center, training camp in Syria

Russian warplanes have destroyed an Islamic State command center and training center, according to Moscow's Defense Ministry.

October 2, 2015

Chris Mintz, ‘heroic’ Army veteran, was shot 7 times as he charged Chris Harper Mercer in Oregon

Chris Mintz, an Army veteran, was shot seven times when he charged straight at the gunman in an effort to save other students during the shooting rampage at Umpqua Community College Thursday morning.

October 2, 2015

Golden Hammer: Federal agencies end fiscal year with shopping spree

If you ever doubted that Christmas shopping really begins in September, look no further than Uncle Sam.

October 1, 2015

Veteran blasts hearse driver for unattended flag-draped coffin in Wal-Mart parking lot

A North Texas military veteran was so upset when she spotted a flag-draped coffin left unattended in the back of hearse in a Wal-Mart parking lot, she waited for the driver to return so she could confront him and filmed the conversation on her phone.

October 1, 2015

Assad allies, Iranian troops prepare ground attack in Syria

Iran has sent hundreds of troops to Syria over the last 10 days that will soon join government forces and Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive accompanied by Russian airstrikes, two Lebanese sources familiar with the matter said.

October 1, 2015

U.S. offers $5 million reward to stop Islamic State from stealing antiques

The U.S. on Tuesday announced a new campaign to stop Islamic State militants from smuggling priceless artifacts out of the region to be sold at auctions, by offering a $5 million reward for information that could thwart such activities.

September 30, 2015

Ashton Carter: Russian action like ‘pouring gasoline on the fire,’ bombed Assad enemies, not ISIS

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday voiced his concern's over Russia's "contradictory position" in Syria, saying the Kremlin's decision to conduct airstrikes at the request of Bashar Assad is "tantamount to pouring gasoline on the fire."

September 30, 2015

Houston hospital squandered $32.4 million FEMA grant meant for Hurricane Ike rebuilding: report

The Department of Homeland Security is demanding the return of a $32.4 FEMA grant awarded to a Houston hospital to repair damages from Hurricane Ike in 2008 after a new audit revealed none of the money had been used appropriately.

September 30, 2015

Pentagon puts Syrian rebel training program on hold

The Pentagon said Tuesday that its embattled program to train and equip Syrian rebels to combat the Islamic State has temporarily stopped receiving new recruits.

September 30, 2015

U.S. fails to stop people from joining the Islamic State: congressional report

The Obama administration has largely failed to stop more than 250 Americans from traveling overseas since 2011 to join -- or attempt to join -- terrorist groups like the Islamic State, said a new congressional report released on Tuesday.

September 30, 2015

Putin ignores Obama as Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria

Russia has conducted its first airstrike in Syria, near the city of Homs, a senior U.S. official confirmed Wednesday.

September 30, 2015

John McCain blasts ‘dangerous reversal’ in Afghanistan, blames drawdown timetable

Following news of the Taliban takeover of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, Senate Armed Service Committee Chairman John McCain on Tuesday blasted the Obama administration's hasty deadline for troop withdrawals from the region.

September 29, 2015

Edward Snowden joins Twitter, trades jokes with Neil deGrasse Tyson

Edward Snowden joined Twitter on Tuesday and gained over 100,000 followers within minutes of posting his first tweet.

September 29, 2015

Phillip Breedlove, NATO commander: Russia has ulterior motives for air defense system in Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly claimed the reason for Moscow's military buildup in Syria has been to fight the Islamic State, but NATO's top commander said Monday he believes the presence of Russian anti-aircraft systems in the country points to ulterior motives to hinder U.S. and allied operations in the region.

September 29, 2015

Iran buys $21B in aircraft, sattelite equipment from Russia

Iran has purchased $21 billion worth of satellite equipment and aircraft from Russia, according to Iranian officials.

September 29, 2015

Chris Cannella, knife-wielding man in SUV, made it onto JFK tarmac hours after Pope Francis left

A man driving a black SUV and armed with a knife breached airport security, making it all the way to the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, just hours after Pope Francis had left from the airport for Philadelphia on Saturday, prosecutors said.

September 29, 2015

Stephanie Marie Moore, Fla. woman arrested for ‘riding’ sea turtle

Police arrested a Florida woman Saturday who had been seen in photos "riding" a sea turtle.

September 26, 2015

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Kellan Howell

Articles by Kellan Howell

Chris Mintz, heroic vet, speaks after being shot 7 times: ‘I just hope everyone else is ok’

Chris Harper Mercer was discharged from Army, Pentagon confirms

Coast Guard searching for ship out of Fla. with 33 on board missing in Hurricane Joaquin

Russian air force strikes Islamic State command center, training camp in Syria

Chris Mintz, ‘heroic’ Army veteran, was shot 7 times as he charged Chris Harper Mercer in Oregon

Golden Hammer: Federal agencies end fiscal year with shopping spree

Veteran blasts hearse driver for unattended flag-draped coffin in Wal-Mart parking lot

Assad allies, Iranian troops prepare ground attack in Syria

U.S. offers $5 million reward to stop Islamic State from stealing antiques

Ashton Carter: Russian action like ‘pouring gasoline on the fire,’ bombed Assad enemies, not ISIS

Houston hospital squandered $32.4 million FEMA grant meant for Hurricane Ike rebuilding: report

Pentagon puts Syrian rebel training program on hold

U.S. fails to stop people from joining the Islamic State: congressional report

Putin ignores Obama as Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria

John McCain blasts ‘dangerous reversal’ in Afghanistan, blames drawdown timetable

Edward Snowden joins Twitter, trades jokes with Neil deGrasse Tyson

Phillip Breedlove, NATO commander: Russia has ulterior motives for air defense system in Syria

Iran buys $21B in aircraft, sattelite equipment from Russia

Chris Cannella, knife-wielding man in SUV, made it onto JFK tarmac hours after Pope Francis left

Stephanie Marie Moore, Fla. woman arrested for ‘riding’ sea turtle