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LIEUTENANT COLONEL MICHAEL J KELLY
COMMANDER, 38th RECONNAISSANCE
SQUADRON
Colonel Kelly was
born in Johnstown
, PA.
He graduated from
Westmont
Hilltop
High
School
. He attended the
University of
Pittsburgh
receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business in 1987.
He received a Master of Aeronautical Science with distinction
from Embry-Riddle
University
. He also holds a Master of Military Operational Art and Science
degree from the
Air
University
. Colonel Kelly completed Squadron Officer
School
in residence in 1994 and graduated from Air Command and
Staff
College at
Maxwell AFB, AL
in 2003. He is also a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College
, Norfolk , VA.
Colonel Kelly graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Navigator
Training at Mather AFB, CA in 1989. His first operational flying
assignment was with the 343rd
Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE, from 1989 to 1996.
While in the Raven Haven, he flew on the RC-135 RIVET JOINT in
Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT,
SOUTHERN WATCH, UPHOLD DEMOCRACY and DENY FLIGHT. He served as
an instructor and evaluator Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) and
Squadron Executive Officer. He was also one of the 55th
Wing’s first graduates of the
US
Air
Force
Weapons
School.
His next assignment was with the 95th
Reconnaissance Squadron at Royal Air Force
Mildenhall,
United Kingdom
. He served as Flight Commander and Assistant Director of
Operations while participating in Operations ALLIED FORCE and
NORTHERN WATCH. In 2000, Colonel Kelly transitioned to the 552nd
Air Control Wing Tinker AFB, OK where he served as the Wing
Electronic Warfare Officer and was the first EWO to become a
qualified aircrew member on the E-3 AWACS. After September 11,
2001, he deployed as part of the 552nd
Mission
Planning Team supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Following Air Command and
Staff
College at Maxwell AFB,
Alabama, he was
assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command, Ft Bragg, NC
serving as an Air Operations Planner and Chief of Airborne ISR.
He directed the acquisition, integration and employment of
manned and unmanned reconnaissance assets used to support combat
operations conducted by special operations forces of the
US
Army, Air Force, and Navy. He authored two Capability
Development Documents approved by the Commander, US Special
Operations Command. These documents outlined an “urgent combat
need” and initiated programs resulting in two new Air Force
squadrons. He and his team routinely coordinated with other
governmental agencies to integrate reconnaissance, attack,
strike, CSAR, Close Air Support, Command and Control, and other
combat systems into a synchronized operation executed with
speed, precision and lethality. In 2005, he graduated from the
US
Army
Airborne
School,
Ft Benning, GA. He deployed to
Iraq as the Air
Component Director for a 1,200-man Joint Task Force responsible
for locating High Value Targets in
Iraq
earning him the Bronze Star.
Lieutenant Colonel Kelly then returned to the 55th
Wing as the Director of Operations for the 338th
Combat Training Squadron, Offutt AFB directing a select staff of
125 Air Force personnel, 55 civilian contractors and over 500
students for RC/OC/WC-135 and E-4B aircrew training. Lt
Col Kelly has
been the commander of the 36th
Reconnaissance Squadron since March of 2007.
Colonel Kelly is a master Navigator with over 4,500 flying
hours, including over 1,400 combat and combat support hours. He
was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 1 October 2004.
Colonel Kelly is
married to the former Valerie Filipowski of
Erie
, Pennsylvania
. They have two children, Andrew and Abigail.
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