General Mark D. Kelly

Commander US Air Combat Command

General Mark D. Kelly is responsible to the U.S. Air Force for organising, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready air, space, cyber and intelligence forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defence forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defence. The command operates more than 1,000 aircraft, 35 wings, 12 bases and 1,336 units at more than 242 operating locations worldwide with 156,739 total force military and civilian personnel. As the lead major command for Combat Air Forces, ACC developments strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics and procedures for air, space and cybry-power employment. The command provides conventional and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space, cyber and information superiority for warfighters and national decision-makers. The command also stands ready to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities.

Kelly entered the Air Force in 1986, receiving his commission from the Air Force ROTC program at Southwest Texas State University. He earned his pilot wings at Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Gen. Kelly has commanded a fighter squadron, two fighter wings, an expeditionary wing and two Numbered Air Forces. Gen. Kelly is a command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours, including 800 combat hours in fighter aircraft.