Colonel Kelley serves as the Director, Marine Corps War College, Quantico VA.
He was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps in 1997. After initial training, he reported to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in 1998 as a Field Artillery Officer. He deployed as part of Battalion Landing Team 3/8, 26th MEU(SOC) in 1999 and participated in Operation SHINING HOPE in Albania, Operation JOINT GUARDIAN in Kosovo, and Operation AVID RESPONSE in Turkey. Col Kelley then served as the Fire Direction Officer and Executive Officer for Battery L, 3/10 prior to becoming the Battalion Assistant Operations Officer.
From 2001-2003, Col Kelley served as the Supporting Arms Coordinator and amphibious planner on the COMMANDER, AMPHIBIOUS GROUP-TWO staff in Norfolk, Virginia, after which he attended the Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia. In 2004, following a summer assignment as a platoon commander at the Officer Candidates’ School, Col Kelley reported to 22d MEU in Camp Lejeune as the Fire Support Officer, deploying to Iraq in 2005 in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. In 2006, Col Kelley took command of Battery G, 2d Battalion, 10th Marines. After attaching his battery to 1st Battalion, 12th Marines as part of Task Force Military Police, he deployed in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2007. Following the deployment, he took command of Headquarters Battery, 10th Marines.
Re-assigned to Quantico, Virginia in 2008, Col Kelley served as a Faculty Advisor at the Expeditionary Warfare School, where he was the lead instructor for both fire support and amphibious operations. In 2010, Col Kelley received the Dr. Elihu Rose Award as the Marine Corps University’s Outstanding Instructor of the Year. He graduated from the School of Advanced Warfighting in 2012, earning a Master of Science degree in Operational Studies. Upon reporting to II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune as a Future Operations Planner, he deployed to Afghanistan from July 2012 – Feb 2014, serving as a planner on the Regional Command-Southwest staff in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Upon re-deployment, Col Kelley became Plans Officer, II Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Col Kelley assumed battalion-level command in 2014 as Inspector-Instructor, 4th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (4th ANGLICO) in West Palm Beach, FL. Following command, he attended the National War College, earning a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy as a distinguished graduate. Col Kelley reported to the Pentagon in 2017 for duties in the Joint Staff, J6 Cyberspace Division, Cyber Strategy and Forces Branch and was recognized in 2018 as the Joint Staff J6 Action Officer of the Year. He also served as Deputy Director of the Department of Defense’s Protecting Critical Technology Task Force. Col Kelley was then assigned to Korea in 2020, where he was the Current Operations Officer (J33) for United States Forces Korea and the Deputy Current Operations Officer (DC33) for the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. He was the Commanding Officer, 10th Marines aboard Camp Lejeune, NC from 2021-2023 and then served as the II MEF AC/S, G-5/G-9. Col Kelley assumed his duties as Director, Marine Corps War College in June, 2024.
Col Kelley’s personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars, Navy Achievement Medal with gold star, and the Combat Action Ribbon with gold star.