May is Military Appreciation Month and this is the first of a series of stories honoring various men and women across Mississippi who have served, or are serving, our country.
Trent Kelly is a humble man who feels honored to serve our state in two capacities; Congressman and Brigadier General in the Mississippi Army National Guard.
In an interview with JT on SuperTalk Mississippi on Thursday, Kelly said, “Our veterans and military are so important; not only those who are currently serving, but also the men and women who have served in the past and their families. We have a duty and obligation to make sure we take care of those folks, because they take care of us when we ask.”
When asked about his service in Congress and in the Mississippi Guard, Kelly said he is honored to both serve and protect. “That’s the greatest thing about where I am right now, the things I get to do now actually affect and impact soldiers’ lives and hope we make them better. It’s really good to be able to help those soldiers from that position as well as this one.”
Congressman Kelly was born in 1966 in Union Mississippi. He graduated from Union High School and East Central Community College then earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. In 2010, Kelly received his master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
For the past 33 years, Kelly has served in the Mississippi Army National Guard as a Combat Engineer and in 2018 was promoted to Brigadier General. Kelly is the first sitting congressman from Mississippi, since G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, to simultaneously serve as both Congressman and general-level officer in the National Guard.
In 1990, Kelly mobilized for Desert Storm as an Engineer Second Lieutenant. In 2005, he deployed as a Major to Iraq with the 155th Brigade as the Operations Officer of the 150th Engineer Battalion. From 2009 to 2010, he deployed as a Lieutenant Colonel to Iraq as the Battalion Commander of Task Force Knight of the 155th Brigade Combat Team and commanded over 670 troops from Mississippi, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Kelly has received two Bronze Stars, the Combat Action Badge, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold de Fleury medals, and numerous other federal and state awards for his service.
In Congress, Trent serves on the House Armed Services Committee, serving as the Ranking Member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee. Trent also serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Small Business Committee.
