In his Senior year, Eric composed the musical composition, The Apology for solo jazz classical guitar. Eric successfully met Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) grueling college preparatory high school requirements and graduated in June of 1978. The schools 1978 graduating class was the first full graduating class of Duke Ellington only students. The previous graduating classes were a combination of Western High School and Duke Ellington School of the Arts students. Upon graduation from Duke Ellington, Eric enrolled in Prince Georges Community College in Largo, Maryland, as a Music major. Eric also studied privately with renowned jazz and blues guitarist, the late Bill Harris in Washington, D.C. Eric continued his private and collegiate music studies until June of 1980, when he enlisted in the United States Army Delayed Entry Program. In October of 1980, Private Eric D. Kelley reported for Basic Training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. In December of 1980, Private Kelley, having successfully completed Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) as a Motor Transport Operator, began preparing for his departure to Germany. Private Kelley reported to the historic 8 th Infantry Division (“Pathfinder”) MECHANIZED, 2/81 ST Infantry Field Artillery, Service Battery, Strasberg Kaserne (Subcommunity of Baumholder) in January of 1981. In a turn of unforeseen circumstances, then Private First Class (PFC) became the Acting Section Chief of the Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL) fuel section for the Battalion in the fall of 1981. (SIGNIFICANT: THE POL SECTION CHIEF WAS AN E-6 SLOT)

Acting Sergeant Kelley successfully fulfilled this request and graduated from the Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course (BNOC) in the same year of 1985. Acting Sergeant Kelley successfully and honorably completed his Reserve tour in 1986. In September of 1987, Specialist Kelley was offered a Federal Government / State Technician position with the District of Columbia Army National Guard (DCARNG). Specialist Kelley enlisted in the DCARNG in September of 1987, and was assigned as a Patrol Leader in the 276 TH Military Police Company, with full-time State duty on the DCARNG’s Commanding General’s Staff. In March of 1988, Specialist Kelley was selected for an DCARNG Active Guard Reserve (AGR) tour of duty as the Armor/Supply Specialist for the 276 TH Military Police Company, while serving in Operation Fuertes Caminos in Honduras. In November of 1988, Specialist Kelley attended the Unit Supply Specialist/Armor Course at Fort Lee, in Petersburg, Virginia. During this time, Specialist Kelley also played left guard on his class AIT Basketball team. Specialist Kelley’s class team won the Post Championship in 1988. Specialist Kelley took the Officer’s Service Battery test in October of 1989 and was selected to attend Officers Candidate School (OCS) in April of 1990 while simultaneously serving in the AGR program. In June of 1990, Officer Candidate Kelley was promoted to Sergeant Kelley and selected as the AGR Supply Sergeant for the Headquarters, Headquarter Detachment (HHD), 372 ND Military Police Battalion, DCARNG.

In November of 1990, the 372 ND received notification to deploy for the Gulf War. Senior Officer Candidate (SOC) Kelley was given an option to deploy or to complete Officer Candidate School (OCS). SOC/SGT Kelley successfully readied the 372 ND to their MOB Station at Fort Meade, Maryland. SOC/Staff Sergeant Kelley (newly promoted) was reassigned as the AGR Supply Sergeant for Headquarters, Headquarters Company (HHC) 1/132 ND Aviation Battalion, Davisson Army Airfield, Virginia. SOC/Staff Sergeant Kelley resigned his enlisted AGR tour on Friday, July 19, 1991. He successfully completed OCS, graduating, and receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant (2LT) on Sunday, July 21, 1991. 2LT Kelley was branched as a Transportation Officer and assigned to the DCARNG’s 547 TH Light Medium Transportation Company (547 TH LMT Co.) as a Platoon Leader in July of 1991. 2LT Kelley dually served as a State (Federal) Technician, Transportation Specialist with the DCARNG’s 140 TH Transport Motor Transportation Battalion (140 TH TMT Bn), while being assigned to the 547 TH LMT Co. during the Summer of 1991. 2LT Kelley resigned his State Technician position to attend his Transportation Officer Basic Course (TOBC) at Fort Eustis, Newport News, Virginia in October of 1991. 2LT Kelley was elected the class Logistics Officer (S4) by his TOBC classmates. 2LT Kelley successfully completed and graduated TOBC in February of 1992. He returned to the DCARNG and the 547 TH LMT Co. in his role as Platoon Leader. 2LT Kelley was immediately placed on an Active-Duty Special Work (ADSW) with the DCARNG’s Director of Logistics (DLOG) as a Gulf War Reconstruction Specialist in March of 1992. 2LT Kelley assisted with the reconstitution of the DCARNG’s equipment being returned from the Gulf War. In July of 1992, 2LT Kelley was selected to assist in the stand-up of the DCARNG’s NEW Counterdrug/Drug Demand Reduction (CD/DDR) Program. 2LT Kelley continued his ADSW assignment in his new roles of the CD/DDR Programs: Operations Officer Drug Demand Reduction Officer (Acting) – (in this role 2LT Kelley in a joint venture with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) taught anti-drug classes to Washington, DC area youth in the DC Department of Recreation Summer Youth Program and the District of Columbia Public School system (DCPS). Logistics and Procurement Officer Policy Based Access Control Budget Activity Director (PBAC) and thePrograms Pay Officer 2LT Kelley served in these roles from July of 1992 through April of 1994. In April of 1994, through a Memorandum of Understanding and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU/MOA) between the DCARNG and the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (DCMPD), 2LT Kelley was placed on loan to the DCMPD through the CD/DDR Program. 2LT Kelley continued his ADSW assignment as a Military Liaison/DCMPD Desk Lieutenant with DCMPD’s 4 TH District Police Department. 2LT Kelley dually fulfilled and successfully executed his duties as a Platoon Leader with the DCARNG’s 547 TH LMT Company, receiving accolades for his Platoons noteworthy performance at Annual Trainings 1993 at Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia (Joint exercise with German Soldiers), and in 1994 at Fort Dix, New Jersey, premiering as the NUMBER ONE Platoon for the Army’s Lane Training simulated combat Field Training Exercise (FTX). In April of 1996, the DCARNG entered and MOU/MOA with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and First Lieutenant Kelley (1LT), still on an ADSW assignment with the CD/DDR Program was reassigned from the DCMPD’s 4 TH District to the FBI’s Washington D.C.s Field Office at Buzzard’s Point as an Intelligence Analyst.1LT Kelley received noteworthy accolades from some of the Special Agents that he assisted during his time at the FBI.

In December of 1996, through an MOU/MOA between the DCARNG and the Mayor’s Office of Washington D.C., 1LT Kelley was reassigned on his CD/DDR ADSW tour to fulfill the role of Military Liaison Officer to the Mayor of Washington, D.C. with Joint Duty at the District of Columbia’s Emergency Management Agency (DCEMA). 1LT Kelley was now serving in a role that is normally filled by a COLONEL. In his role as the DC Mayors Military Liaison Officer, 1LT Kelley assisted in the stand-up of the Mayors Nuisance Abatement Task Force (NATF), co- authoring the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the NATF. 1LT Kelley also assisted DCEMA with some of their city emergencies. 1LT Kelley was jointly located at DCEMA and the Mayor’s Office. In June of 1998, 1LT Kelley graduated from Park College (now Park University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management. In June of 2000, 1LT Kelley graduated from The National Graduate School at Falmouth, Massachusetts with a Master of Science in Quality Systems Management. In August of 2000, 1LT Kelley was promoted to Captain. Captain (CPT) Kelley received letters from D.C. Council Persons, the Mayors Chief-of-Staff, and a Mayoral Citation from the Mayor of D.C. for his work with DCEMA, the NATF, and as the D.C. Mayor’s Military Liaison Officer. CPT Kelley also did a brief assignment with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Agency (HIDTA) during this period. CPT Kelley was also licensed to preach the gospel by the African Methodist Episcopalian (A.M.E.) church in 2000. While assigned to his ADSW position with DC Mayor, CPT Kelley assumed Command of Headquarters, Headquarter Detachment, 74 TH Troop Command (formerly the 140 TH TMT Bn), DCARNG. CPT Kelley completed his ADSW assignment as the DC Mayors Military Liaison Officer in March of 2002, and completed his Detachment Command time in June of 2002. CPT Kelley was assigned to the DCARNG’s Directorate of Engineering (DOE) in July of that year, in the role of an Environmentalist.

In 2003, CPT Kelley assumed the role of the Assistant Facility Manager for the DC Armory, DCARNG, DOE as a Full-time State (DC) Technician. In that same year, CPT Kelley was promoted to Facility Manager for the DC Armory, DCARNG, DOE, Full-time (Federal) Technician. CPT Kelley continued his dual roles of DCARNG Environmentalist and Facility Manager. CPT Kelley was promoted to Major (MAJ) in June of 2004. In November of 2004, MAJ Kelley was offered a Contractors position with the Arrowpoint Corporation as a Second Destination Transportation Manager with the National Guard Bureau’s Logistic Division (G4). MAJ Kelley was responsible for the successful shipping to and from the battlefield environment of 12 categories of military trailers and containers.

In December of 2004, MAJ Kelley was selected for a Title 10 Active-Duty tour with the National Guard Bureau’s Environmental Division as a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Manager. MAJ Kelley was given the assignment of completing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Transformation of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s (PAARNG) 28 TH Brigade (BDE) into the 56 TH Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) and submitting to the Environmental Policy Agency (EPA) in Washington, DC. MAJ Kelley completed the PAARNG’s EIS for the 65 TH SBCT which included 5 States, 30 Senators and Congressmen, and 18 General Officers, 90 days ahead of schedule and under budget of its $3 billion price tag. The, then PAARNG Commanding General, MG Jessica Wright awarded MAJ Kelley the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) awarded MAJ Kelley the Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) for his unmatched and exemplary work on this EIS. NGB had been working on this EIS for 10 years before the assignment was given to MAJ Kelley.

In 2007, MAJ Kelley was selected as NGB’s Environmental Division Executive Officer. MAJ Kelley was successful in this assignment ensuring that the Director of the Environmental Division’s goals, vision, and mission statement exceeded their intent and purpose. In July of 2008, MAJ Kelley was reassigned to the PENTAGON’s G3/5/7 Army Operation Center (AOC), Crisis Action Team 3 (CAT), as the Teams National Guard Bureau Desk Officer. While in this assignment, MAJ Kelley assumed responsibility and filled a critical shortage, operating both the Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and NGB desks simultaneously for an 8-month period. MAJ Kelley’s PENTAGON assignment was to be a 12-month assignment. Before the end of his assignment, MAJ Kelley received a by-name request from the General Officer of the PENTAGON AOC/CAT for him to extend his tour for 12 months. Before MAJ Kelley completed his second AOC/CAT tour the General Officer of the AOC/CAT again requested MAJ Kelley to extend his tour again for an additional 12 months. MAJ Kelley and the AOC/CAT Team 3 were on duty for the following events:

• The Fort Hood shooting

• The historic National Capital Region Winter Storm

• The worst California wildfires in three decades

• The historic tsunami in Japan

• President Barack H. Obama’s first inauguration

MAJ Kelley was also one of the briefers of the daily overall brief presented to the PENTAGON senior leadership, the Balcony Brief. MAJ Kelley additionally held the distinct honor of being nicknamed ‘The Chaplain’ for his Team Chief providing the opportunity for MAJ Kelley to lead his Team in prayer at the beginning of their AOC/CAT floor shift. MAJ Kelley was awarded his second MSM by the PENTAGONs G3 for his contributions and outstanding performance while assigned to the PENTAGON G3/5/7 AOC/CAT.

In 2011, MAJ Kelley resigned his Title 10 Active-Duty tour with NGB, completed his tour at the PENTAGON, and transferred to the United States Army Reserve. On July 12, 2011, MAJ Kelley was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) in the United States Army Reserve (USAR) and selected for an Active-Duty tour with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). LTC Kelley was assigned to the Logistics Division in DIA. LTC Kelley deployed to DIA’s Defense Intelligence Support Office in Kandahar, Afghanistan (DISO-K), AREA 59 in February of 2012, where he simultaneously served in two Joint positions in a Theatre-of-War. LTC Kelley served as DISO’s K’s Chief of Logistics (J4), and the Chief of Operations (J3), with additional duties as the COR (Contracting Officer Representative) and Postmaster. LTC Kelley was awarded the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Commendation (NIMUC) Medal by the then Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the Honorable James Clapper for his duty in Afghanistan.

Upon LTC Kelley’s redeployment, he was reassigned to DIA’s Logistics Division, and was responsible for interviewing and selecting DIA personnel to fill critical deployment positions. LTC Kelley also wrote position descriptions for new deployment positions and assisted in the Reception, Staging, Onward movement, and Integration (RSOI) operations at OCONUS (outside of the Continental United States) DIA sites and the opening and establishing of new OCONUS DIA sites.

In 2014, LTC Kelley completed his Active-Duty tour with DIA, and was selected as a Joint Strategic Planner with the National Security Agency’s USCYBERCOMMAND in their J5 Division. Also, in 2014, LTC Kelley graduated from the National Speakers Academy, Washington, D.C. Chapter. In September of 2015, LTC Kelley was selected by Headquarters, Department of the Army to Command the 327 TH Quartermaster Battalion (327 TH QM BN) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. When LTC Kelley assumed Command of the 327 TH QM BN, they were ranked as number 9 of 10 Battalions. Under LTC Kelley’s leadership, by 2017, the 327 TH : Ranked number 1 out of 24 Battalions (on both the East and West coasts) participating in the Quartermasters Liquid Logistics Exercise (QLLEX) of 2017 Exceeded every category in the United States Army Unit Climate Profile (UCP) in 2017.

Simultaneously, while in Battalion Command, LTC Kelley completed the United States Army War College’s Defense Strategy Course and was certified in Strategy and Policy Development in 2016. Also, during this time, LTC Kelley was hired as a Systems Integrator (Contractor) with the LMI Corporation. LTC Kelley worked in the J8 Division of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in Crystal City, Virginia. The DTRA J8 leadership was so impressed with LTC Kelley’s outstanding performance as the Battalion Commander for the 327 TH QM BN, that they offered LTC Kelley an Active-Duty tour as a J8 Deputy Division Chief with DTRA. LTC Kelley served in this Active-Duty position from November of 2017 until his retirement (after 40 years of Active-Duty service). on August 1, 2020. LTC Kelley was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) for his contributions to the DTRA organization.

In November of 2020, LTC Kelley, now retired, was asked to serve as a federal government civilian in the role of the Logistics Manager for the White House Situation Room, White House Special Support Staff, Executive Office of the President of the United States. Eric served in this role from February through June of 2021. LTC Kelley (Retired) is a certified Demonstrated Master Logistician by the International Society of Logistics (SOLE), a certified Strategic Planner by the United States Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. LTC Kelley (Retired) holds the distinction of being the only ARMY enlisted Soldier and Officer to be awarded:

• The United States Army Military Intelligence Corps - Knowlton Award

• The United States Army Transportation Corps Regiment

• The Ancient Order of the Saint Christopher Medal

• The National Infantry Association The Order of the Saint

• Maurice Medal

• The United States Army Association of Quartermasters

• The Honorable Order of the Saint Martin Medal

  LTC Kelley is the Founder and CEO of the CHIA (Character, Honor, Integrity, and Authenticity) of Leadership Institute. The CHIA of Leadership Institute focuses on four essential components of the successful leader, Character, Honor, Integrity, and Authenticity. The CHIA of Leadership Institute addresses these components through a multi-faceted approach; professional and motivational speaking, one-on-one (and group) coaching, mentoring, developing, education through workshops and corporate seminars, and a curriculum that is directed to identifying and nurturing the future multi-cultural global leaders from Pre-school through college.

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While assigned to VADM Grinstead and DLA, Specialist Kelley unofficially served in other roles of support, such as Assistant to VADM Grinstead’s Aide de Camp, and Physical Security personnel. Specialist Kelley completed his assignment to VADM Grinstead and DLA in September of 1983 when his Active-Duty tour ended. Specialist Kelley was awarded the Joint Services Commendation Medal (JCOM), for his DLA duty. Specialist Kelley was 23 years old when he received the JCOM. Specialist Kelley was now a civilian again, and applied for employment with the Federal Government, the Naval Supply Systems Command, in Crystal City, Virginia. In November of 1983, Eric D. Kelley, was selected for employment with the Administrative Services Division of the Naval Supply Systems Command, as the Acting Commands Certifying Officer with additional duty as the Approving Training Officer, at age 23. Also, during this time, Specialist Kelley enlisted in the United States Army Reserve, applying for selection into the Reserve Drill Sergeants Program. Specialist Kelley was selected and assigned to Company C, 2 ND Battalion, 317 TH Regiment, 80 TH Training Division, Lieber Army Reserve Center, Alexandria, Virginia in November of 1983. In the Summer of 1984, Corporal Kelley, reported for the United States Army Basic Infantryman’s Course at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in Ayer, Massachusetts. Corporal Kelley graduated from the Infantry School and was then enrolled in the Drill Sergeant’s Residency Course at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Now, Acting Sergeant Kelley, was requested to serve as a Drill Sergeant on Active Duty during Annual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1985.

PFC Kelley remained in the Battalions POL Section, also serving as the Battalions rations driver, and courier, until February of 1982. In February of 1982, Specialist Kelley’s only brother, Gerald Bernard Kelley, was killed in Washington, D.C. Specialist Kelley received a hardship reassignment to the Military District of Washington. Specialist Kelley was assigned to Headquarters, United States Army Garrison (USAG), Fort Myers, Virginia. Specialist Kelley served as the Post Commanders driver, until the Spring of 1982. Specialist Kelley was reassigned as the Assistant Operations Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge (NCOIC), Medical Hold, Troop Command, Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). In the Summer of 1982, while Specialist Kelley was conducting WRAMC business at the PENTAGON, Specialist Kelley came to the attention of the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, Vice Admiral Eugene Andrew (VADM) Grinstead, Jr. (THE LAST ACTIVE DUTY SERVING FROGMAN FROM WORLD WAR II). Unbeknown to Specialist Kelley, when he saluted VADM Grinstead on the steps of the River and Mall entrance to the PENTAGON, VADM selected him as his NEW personal driver. When Specialist Kelley returned to WRAMC that afternoon, he received a call from the United States Army Assignment Branch at the Hoffman Building, in Alexandria, VA, directing him to report to the Director, Defense Logistics Agency, in a suit and tie, for an interview. Specialist Kelley impressed VADM Grinstead, and was immediately assigned to Headquarters, USAG, Fort Myers, Virginia, detached to the Joint Chief of Staff, PENTAGON, and detailed to the Director, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), in the late Summer of 1982.