Col. Kelly serves as the Program Manager for the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275) at the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md.

Kelly graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1993 with a B.S. in control systems engineering. Upon graduation, he was awarded a Dean’s Fellowship from the University of Virginia, completing an M.S. in electrical engineering the following year. Kelly was the Honor Graduate from The Basic School and was designated a Naval Aviator in May of 1997, selecting the F/A-18 Hornet.  Upon completion of F/A-18 training, Kelly was assigned to VMFA(AW)-224 in Beaufort, S.C., where he deployed to the Western Pacific in 1999 and 2001.

Following this fleet tour, Kelly attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, in Patuxent River, Md. and was assigned to VX-23 where he served as the F/A-18 lead test pilot and Operations Officer.  While assigned to VX-23 he completed an M.S. in systems engineering with Honors from Johns Hopkins University, and was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate finalist.

In January 2006, Kelly was assigned to the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) as the Missions Systems Deputy IPT Lead, helping direct the development of the F-35 sensors, avionics and mission software.

In 2008, Kelly returned to the fleet with Marine Aircraft Group-16 (Forward) in Al Asad, Iraq.  While in Iraq, he coordinated fleet integration of Laser JDAM on the F/A-18, in-theater installation of LAIRCM on CH-53 and CH-46 aircraft, and introduced the PRU-70 upgraded aircrew armored vest while flying combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Following this deployment, Kelly was assigned to the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Patuxent River, where he served as the Flight Operations Lead and Government Flight Test Director.  Kelly was selected as the 2010 Marine Corps Aviation Association Test Pilot of the Year, received the 2010 Commandant’s Acquisition Excellence Award and was named the 2012 National Defense Industrial Association USMC Tester of the Year.

Kelly then returned to the F-35 JPO as the Training and Manpower IPT Lead.  In 2014, Kelly was assigned as the Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research Development and Acquisition) and was next assigned to PMA-275 as the Deputy Program Manager for MV-22.

In June 2016, Kelly assumed command of the Marine Aviation Detachment for Patuxent River, China Lake and Pt. Mugu. He assumed the duties of Program Manager for PMA-275 in July 2017.

Kelly has flown over 2500 flight hours in over 50 different aircraft types, including the MV-22B and F-35B/C.  His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards) as well as other campaign and service awards.